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Although calling it jet-lag wouldn't be quite right. In my case it's rather a move-lag, and fortunately it's already fading.
Epic tiredness aside, I have to say that thorough planning *does* help, especially if the universe is looking kindly on one's plans and not out to sabotage them.
The days in Vienna between taking the cats here and going back to Skopje for packing were spent doing useful things: I renewed my subscription at my old gym, got a few necessary things like cutlery and cleaning stuff, rearranged a few items of furniture, threw out about a ton of jetsam (you have no idea how much stuff people leave behind when they move out) and made myself thoroughly at home. I also managed to fall asleep while watching a DVD on my laptop and holding an almost-empty glass. So I had to buy a new laptop the next day; the "old" one is being examined right now, results to be expected on Monday or Tuesday, so we'll see whether it can be repaired and, if it's possible, how much it's going to cost.
The other not-so-good bit of news is that my asthma is playing up. Most likely this is due to the renovation of my flat being finished rather late, i.e. only a couple days before I came back: when entering the place, I can still smell the lingering paint fumes (doors, windows, wardrobe), and I suppose they're the culprit. Since the weather isn't exactly cold but quite cool, leaving the windows open for extended periods of time isn't possible, alas. Steroid inhaler helps, but I'm still woefully short of breath; so short, in fact, that I decided to let today be a no-sports day in order not to overtax my heart -- blood oxygen is of course low, and thus my pulse gets very elevated very fast. At least I'm certain it's not the Critters, because a) why now?, b) even though this flat is smaller than the one in Skopje, the ceilings are 1m higher, so the cubic space is the same, c) Janine's three cats, to whom I'm not used at all, don't exacerbate the symptoms; on the contrary, they distinctly improve when I'm at her flat. So it's just a matter of waiting it out.
On Tuesday (17th) I went back to Skopje on the late flight; the night was pitifully short -- only four hours -- but at least the following day was a perfect, blue-golden autumn day, and the team of two the moving company had sent was efficient and fast. They arrived shortly after 8 a.m., and by 3.50 p.m. they loaded the last piece onto the truck. Which made me doubly happy, because there was time for an afternoon nap, too. In the evening I took Slavica and Vesna to dinner (very Macedonian and very yummy), then we went back to Slavica's place for coffee, and at 2.45 a.m. the driver picked me up to take me to the airport. Everything went smoothly and without a hitch, and at 7 a.m. I was home.
Just like after the drive to Vienna I was unable to sleep, but this time I just shrugged and started doing household chores until I (almost literally) dropped. Slept on and off till Friday morning. Since I'm not 20 anymore, it'll take a bit more time to completely recover from a week with a total of 20 hrs sleep, but there's time enough for that. My stuff will arrive on Tuesday, and while unpacking isn't exactly my idea of fun, it's really not a lot. Barely any furniture -- and the guys who deliver it will unpack that -- and about 60 boxes with mostly books, DVDs, CDs and kitchen stuff. So, nothing too daunting. And the critters are going to have lots of fun with all the tissue paper...
Speaking of critters: of course I'd hoped things might turn out like this, but hadn't really dared to hope too much.
Epic tiredness aside, I have to say that thorough planning *does* help, especially if the universe is looking kindly on one's plans and not out to sabotage them.
The days in Vienna between taking the cats here and going back to Skopje for packing were spent doing useful things: I renewed my subscription at my old gym, got a few necessary things like cutlery and cleaning stuff, rearranged a few items of furniture, threw out about a ton of jetsam (you have no idea how much stuff people leave behind when they move out) and made myself thoroughly at home. I also managed to fall asleep while watching a DVD on my laptop and holding an almost-empty glass. So I had to buy a new laptop the next day; the "old" one is being examined right now, results to be expected on Monday or Tuesday, so we'll see whether it can be repaired and, if it's possible, how much it's going to cost.
The other not-so-good bit of news is that my asthma is playing up. Most likely this is due to the renovation of my flat being finished rather late, i.e. only a couple days before I came back: when entering the place, I can still smell the lingering paint fumes (doors, windows, wardrobe), and I suppose they're the culprit. Since the weather isn't exactly cold but quite cool, leaving the windows open for extended periods of time isn't possible, alas. Steroid inhaler helps, but I'm still woefully short of breath; so short, in fact, that I decided to let today be a no-sports day in order not to overtax my heart -- blood oxygen is of course low, and thus my pulse gets very elevated very fast. At least I'm certain it's not the Critters, because a) why now?, b) even though this flat is smaller than the one in Skopje, the ceilings are 1m higher, so the cubic space is the same, c) Janine's three cats, to whom I'm not used at all, don't exacerbate the symptoms; on the contrary, they distinctly improve when I'm at her flat. So it's just a matter of waiting it out.
On Tuesday (17th) I went back to Skopje on the late flight; the night was pitifully short -- only four hours -- but at least the following day was a perfect, blue-golden autumn day, and the team of two the moving company had sent was efficient and fast. They arrived shortly after 8 a.m., and by 3.50 p.m. they loaded the last piece onto the truck. Which made me doubly happy, because there was time for an afternoon nap, too. In the evening I took Slavica and Vesna to dinner (very Macedonian and very yummy), then we went back to Slavica's place for coffee, and at 2.45 a.m. the driver picked me up to take me to the airport. Everything went smoothly and without a hitch, and at 7 a.m. I was home.
Just like after the drive to Vienna I was unable to sleep, but this time I just shrugged and started doing household chores until I (almost literally) dropped. Slept on and off till Friday morning. Since I'm not 20 anymore, it'll take a bit more time to completely recover from a week with a total of 20 hrs sleep, but there's time enough for that. My stuff will arrive on Tuesday, and while unpacking isn't exactly my idea of fun, it's really not a lot. Barely any furniture -- and the guys who deliver it will unpack that -- and about 60 boxes with mostly books, DVDs, CDs and kitchen stuff. So, nothing too daunting. And the critters are going to have lots of fun with all the tissue paper...
Speaking of critters: of course I'd hoped things might turn out like this, but hadn't really dared to hope too much.
