The scaling of the images and some aesthetic issues in the website has been bothering me so much, but I haven’t found the right mindset to fix them yet. I have been busy though. I have moved to a different country yet again.

Where to begin… I actually will not begin but end it. Stars have aligned and I moved. It’s not often that people move from one job they liked to another they will like. I had this opportunity and I took it. It came with the added bonus of being in Sweden, a country I like. That’s it, I moved from Toronto to Gothenburg this June.

I have, of course, brought my cat, Çakıl (Pebbles), with me. I have planned the trip so that it would be relatively easy on her. Flying from YYZ to ARN, then waiting 1 hour (more like passing through the passport control), followed by a short flight from ARN to GOT. Airbnb was conveniently selected to be close to work and also to the airport. The whole ordeal should have taken us 14.5h max, from door to door, including time at customs for the cat.

Yet it took us almost 21h. The flight from ARN was first delayed, then canceled. We were rebooked to a flight the same day, and that flight was delayed by 20-30 minutes because they were debating who should take the last three seats. I passed out during that announcement, next thing I remember is we were up in the air with 30 min left to landing. The customs took around an hour to clear, the officer at the booth was very helpful actually and gave the agriculture department a call when he didn’t get a response from them.

Çakıl had vomited a few times during the landing. Previously, she tolerated the flight from Baltimore to Toronto which is only 3-4h, but being in the carrier for >10h was too much for her. I haven’t taken any food with me, since she doesn’t show interest when she is stressed but in hindsight, I should have taken the liquid treats she loves. I don’t know if the vomits were because of hunger or stress. Perhaps a bit of both. I would know if I had taken any food. Well, next time… But somebody please take my passport away so I don’t move again. I had an army of people helping me out, yet moving doesn’t get any easier as I age.

At the airbnb, cat’s first order of business was to hide under the couch. I let her be with some wet food and water I slid near her. All was good until I called her for some dry food later and she couldn’t get out. She didn’t complain that she couldn’t get out. I have a cat, just like me, ladies and gentlemen. She accepts her faith when she is the one that made the mistake in the first place 🙂 . First time was fine but when she hid there the second time and I was just dying to go to bed, I started to panic. I have managed to flip that giant sectional sofa one more time to chase her out. Then we slumbered to shake off the effects of the long trip.

I must say, we are enjoying the quiet, the birds chirping, and the sunshine. We most certainly haven’t missed the fire alarms, the construction noise, and the fights that break out at the dog park.

It has been 3 days since our arrival. We both exhibit minor symptoms of a cold. But hopefully, it is just because we are tired and not something contagious. Cats are cute when they sneeze repeatedly but I prefer her healthy grumpy self more than her sick self. And as for myself, well I have a job to start, applications to make, and a few events lined up to meet new people. We both prefer to delay whatever this is by a few months.

I’ll write about the process and the cost of moving a pet, dealing with bank accounts, etc. later when I am well-rested.