It's hard to believe I'm in my apartment a year. It was on New Year's Eve last that I packed up 26 years of belongings and left the family home, swapping house rules for romance by moving in with my boyfriend. I've never been a fan of New Year but last year was a good one, as I popped Prosecco and he cracked open a can, to toast our new adventure. We celebrated with plastic cups sitting among his one suit case and my many boxes of 'stuff' that didn't make it into the hired skip during the big move.

It was a big step of course: first, moving out of home which was a long time coming, and, second, by moving in with himself. I suppose, metaphorically, moving in on New Years meant a lot to me, new beginnings and all that. For him it was practical to spend Christmas at home while still getting settled into the new place before returning to work.

Losing my job two weeks later meant that I had lots of time to potter around buying hand towels and candles, while now having rent and bills to pay spurred me into relentlessly pursuing new job options until I found one.

A lot changed in Ireland last year as we know, and we have just re-signed our lease for 2010, paying £200 less then we started on, having negotiated a good deal with our landlady in keeping with the current climate. It is a renter’s market indeed at the moment, and not surprising that landlords are keen to keep tenants at a reduced cost rather than risk an empty space.


Whatever way the market continues to evolve will be interesting .I'm certain that we could have moved on and found somewhere cheaper for next year. Indeed there are two bedroom flats available for a lot less; but it's taken till now for it to really feel like home. Plus, while moving in on New Year’s was romantic in my eyes, it's not very practical and I doubt there would be much help on offer should we want to relocate on the 31st again.



Now we can celebrate the New Year fully settled in our apartment, not sitting on boxes and with real glasses, celebrating the end of a crazy year employment-wise and excited for what 2010 may hold.



I’ve got carried away with having a salary again after six months and even bought real champagne this time!