Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Ikea You-Kea We all-Kea Over

Whew! It has been non-stop since I arrived in California. I haven't really had an opportunitiy to truly miss Denver yet. The first day was really hard because Gary had to work, it was raining, and I was faced with a room full of Rubbermaid boxes. But the last few days the sun has been shining and it has been around sixty degrees. It has done wonders for my mood.

The biggest challenge so far has been how to go from 1800 square feet to a small apartment. We are currently trying to conjure up space. To help bring the apartment from bachelor pad to starter home on a budget, Gary suggested that we try Ikea. I have never been to an Ikea before. I was a little overwhelmed. In fact, about ten minutes after hitting the showroom floor, I whispered to Gary that I thought I was going to faint and we sat down on a couch for awhile. I had this overwhelming sense of vertigo and felt sick to my stomach. It was just too much sensory overload. After a few minutes, I started to recover and was able to complete the trip. We left with a bathroom shelving unit, dresser drawers, entertainment center and computer desk. It really helped to put all those things together.

My next challenge is my closet. That's going to be a tough one because I do love my clothes, shoes and handbags. But we're working on it.

So far, I'm adapting quite well. I like sharing my life with someone. It hasn't felt as intrusive as I thought it might be. And it seems my cat is finally adjusting as well although he seems to be eating more. I guess the whole process just takes time.

We have already been invited out several times which is a nice change for me. We dine with my friends Jen and Andy on Friday and I'm looking forward to that. If I could only import my Denver friends and my family everything would be perfect.

1 comment:

Genevieve said...

We've had an Ikea near us since I was like 10, so I'm sort of a pro at shopping there. Ikea is great but can be really overwhelming. I try to go in with a plan -- I peruse the catalog or website beforehand, so I have an idea of what I'm going to be faced with. I go for specific things (like the wardrobe I put together by myself!) and I only look in that section. well, and the Swedish food section, because Swedish food is fun.

I once spent 8 hours in Ikea with my ex-boyfriend. Never again. I was nearly in tears by the time we left.