My recent move from one apartment to another within Nanaimo was a significant event for me. I don’t expect to move again, ever. As such, I wanted it to go well and I made a lot of plans to try to ensure that it did exactly that. On reflection, I give my plans a B+.

Most of the plans went exactly as I hoped, but a few things did not. This is my attempt to record both the positive and negative aspects of the last few weeks. In short, I didn’t plan for the unexpected.

After I had decided on the condo I wanted to buy, I chose necessary professionals from a list provided by my realtor. I know we are supposed to get three estimates for any trade or service we need, but that has not worked out well for me in the past. So, this time, I just selected a lawyer and insurance company from among those on her list. That worked out very well. I had excellent advice and service at a reasonable cost.

I knew that I wanted to have some renovations done before I moved in and accordingly I engaged the services of a painting company from the same realtor’s list. They did an excellent job.

The company that provides my TV and wifi agreed to provide services at both locations for a month while the renovations were completed because I wanted the people doing the work to have access to wifi if they needed it.

My next two choices were much more random. I was going to have the old carpets taken out and new flooring installed and for that I went to a company that had good ratings on Google. I know, I know. That is not a great measure of anything, but it turned out very well. They did exactly as I had hoped they would, they did it well, and they took away all the debris. Not only that, but they called today to tell me they had accidentally overcharged me and wanted to give me a refund!

The second of those random choices was the company that was to supply new appliances. I chose them only because their showroom was near the flooring company’s place of business and I had bought from them previously in a different city, so the name was familiar. At that point I was not in the mood to shop around. On the whole, their understanding of my needs and ability to provide for them was impressive.

I also decided that a new home called for new furniture, and so I went to a company that has an international reputation for reliable products to buy a new couch and chair. They looked at the floor plan of my new place and made suggestions based on my colour choices and my height! It was a joy to sit in a chair that fit me. I happily accepted their advice and put in an order.

When it came to choosing a moving company, I went online and spent a little time reading reviews before I came to a decision. The outfit I chose was not one of the national brand names, but it had some positive feedback and I decided to go with a smaller business because, well, I have a soft spot for underdogs. That turned out to be one of my better choices. They did a great job. Everything arrived undamaged, the men who did the work were friendly and helpful, and they were quick and efficient. I feel as though I really got lucky with them.

So, what went wrong? Well, in the order in which they occurred:

1. The TV and wifi company did not communicate well internally. The person who installed the modem had expected to install the TV, too, but the equipment for that was at the other address. He didn’t know that I had arranged for what is known as an “overlap” between locations.
   When I moved in here nearly a month later, bringing with me the equipment from the previous place, no-one came to install it. I had several long phone calls trying to explain the problem and undergoing multiple testing procedures, none of which helped. Fortunately, I had Apple TV on my laptop, so I wasn’t entirely without entertainment.
   After about a week, a technician arrived, solved the wiring problem, and found that I had, in addition, a top box problem. That required a new box which did not arrive as promised. It took another couple of phone calls and another day for another technician to bring the necessary equipment and install it.
   Essentially, the administration, the telephone support people, and the on-site technicians were not all singing from the same song sheet. Eventually, though, it all worked out.
2. The company that was providing the new appliances had sub-contracted some of the installation work and that all went well. The dishwasher and microwave were all installed effectively with no trouble. The stove was installed efficiently, too, although it is smaller than the space by about half an inch on each side. I have bought gap covers to bridge the countertop space, and it isn’t ideal but I can live with it.
   The only problem arose with the fridge. The one that was initially delivered had the door swinging the wrong way. After some indecision, I decided that I could not live with it and had the installers return it and order a fridge with the door swinging the other way. In the process, they took away the old fridge because I anticipated getting the new one within a few days. That was a big mistake.
   Today I learned that the new one will not be delivered for another three weeks; that means I will have been without a fridge for a month. This is life-changing! However, I am adjusting. I have bought a chest cooler and am resigned to buying ice and perishables every few days for as long as necessary.
3. The third less-than-perfect outcome is that the furniture I ordered may not arrive until October. This is, to some extent, related to the problem with the fridge. Living on an island, it turns out, means that delivery of goods can take a very, very long time.
   Everything that I have ordered has to be shipped either from eastern Canada or from the United States. When it arrives in Vancouver or Seattle it has to be ferried to the island, usually to Victoria. From there it has to be driven to Nanaimo.
   This is not a situation I have experienced in the past, so I have to adjust my expectations accordingly.
4. Last but not least, I dropped a favourite vase and broke it. The movers managed to transport everything safely and I blew it by dropping a vase as I was unpacking it. If anyone in California sees the leaf guy, tell him I am going to be dropping by (so to speak) next time I’m there.

Long story short, my recent move went very well but it did not occur to me that some practical problems would take so much longer to solve than I expected. Perhaps the universe is telling me to relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy having my lifestyle slightly rearranged, temporarily. I think I can do that. After all, it is a lovely place.