Stephen partially furnished the flat but we were in the need of some more essential pieces of furniture. So, today we set off for IKEA via public transit – since we are car-less (by choice). The Tube was our primary transport which took us quite a while because of repair delays. Sundays is when they do the bulk of repair work. It took about an hour.
Arriving at our stop we were surrounded by people who had their IKEA purchases in hand. We knew we were close. It turned out to be quite an adventure finding the store. In the US they are on major highways. This IKEA is in an industrial area near Wembley Stadium and not very walkable. We eventually made it and all of humanity was there to greet us.
Like a treasure hunt we searched through the store, identified our desired items and then located them in the warehouse area. The checkout queue (not use of the Queen’s English) was endless and then we had to wait online for home delivery. How else would we get the new stuff home? Turns out we were able to ride with our delivery! We love efficiency.
Speaking of stuff, our boxes arrived from Houston and we were both shocked by what we thought was important to ship. I filled two giant garbage bags full of clothes and brought them to the local charity. After having spent our summer (me in the North East and Stephen in London) with only a few possessions it felt crazy to hold on to clothes that we never wear. Three months of absence broke the bond of sentimentality. Now to resist overloading the flat with new stuff!
