At the top of the year, I wrote a blog post outlining what I hoped to achieve this year. One of those things was to move to Manchester. Originally, I was hoping to move in September but, for obvious reasons, that got pushed back. Last Saturday, I finally achieved my second goal of the year: I moved to Manchester!

This whole move has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. It seems like everyone, everyone’s auntie and their 3rd cousin twice removed is trying to move here. Flats that would be posted on Rightmove or Zoopla in the morning, would be gone by the evening. Viewings were cancelled mere hours before being conducted as the place had been snapped up. It was impossible to get hold of a lettings agent for a chat because of the super high demand.

Eventually, the perfect flat came up, but then I had flatmate issues. The girl I was meant to move in with had to pull out fairly close to the move date. In a panic, I searched Spare Room for a flatmate and thrust my now flatmate into a tornado of viewings, emails, calls and logistical nightmares.

Frankly, it was an agg, but we eventually got there. I took last Friday off to pack all of my stuff, (and Lord have mercy, I have a lot of stuff), in readiness for me to drive up the next day in the van I had hired. I arrived, unpacked and clocked what an achievement this really is.

In the lead up, people would ask me, ‘how are you feeling about the move?’, and honestly I couldn’t answer because I didn’t actually know. With the bajillion things I had to sort out, my focus was on ticking boxes and crossing things off my to do list. I literally didn’t have time to sit in my feelings. I think now, one week in, I’m feeling relieved. This dream to start fresh, find my tribe and curate a new life for myself is finally being realised.

I’m still settling in and getting re-accustomed to the North, (the wind up here is no joke!). My bank account is screaming crying at the moment so any travelling is on the back burner for the next few months. I think this blog, (and my insta, go follow me!), will be a ‘Manchester for dummies’ situation with my reccos and finds – much like I write my travel posts.

Manny, please bee good to me, (hehe, geddit?).