On the second Friday of February this year, my boyfriend Matthew and I got the keys to our first ever place together! It was something we’d been planning for a few months, so when we got to go see a flat in a great place that we really loved, we were desperate for it. We were on edge until we found out we would be moving in and then so happy when we got the good news.

            So, on Friday we went and got our keys. We climbed all the stairs to our flat (something I am slowly getting used to) and I took the keys out of my right jacket pocket, the pocket in which I keep all of my keys always. I took a key out, put it in the door, attempted to turn it and freaked out when it wouldn’t turn. I looked to Matt with my jaw dropped like, fuck! They’ve given us the wrong keys! Then I saw my little R2D2 keyring and realised that I had put the key to my gran’s house into our flat’s lock. When I got the right key out, it worked just fine.

            With its white walls and the air of not having been lived in in a week, the flat felt really empty when we first walked in. We put down the bags we had; a weekend bag each of things we needed for immediate use, our bedding and my teddy bear (who obviously had to come to the new flat ASAP).

            Matt ended up having to go to work like, half an hour later so we couldn’t spend our first morning in the flat together properly. Instead of spending time with him, I met my sister and we spent a lot of money on cleaning stuff.

            I’d been looking forward to cleaning the whole place for weeks.

            We took to it and organising and dusting, polishing, bed making, everything. We got new pillows for the couches and throws for the bedroom and living room. We got snacks and little things to eat for breakfast the next day and milk to make tea with, since we’d be doing that a lot for the next few days.

            It was hectic! We had people over in the evening, well into the night and we didn’t end up getting to be alone together until after 9. We got Chinese food for dinner which was brilliant but we were so hungry and tired after working hard all day and being so social, so we ate and pretty much passed out immediately after.

            The next day, it was all about bringing our boxes over and unpacking some things we could. I had a small library in my old bedroom and of course I brought all of those books, and they’re still waiting for us to build their new home before they can be brought out of boxes. On Sunday we had my grandparents and his mum over along with a couple of dogs and made even more tea.

            Our first meal together, which took place after our first big (and very successful) shop, was chicken fajitas and they were fucking amazing. I’m sure it’s a sure sign of what is going to follow.

            Things aren’t quite completely normal yet. The novelty of living with my best friend hasn’t gone away yet and probably won’t for a while longer.