While moving to a new country is kind of exciting, what with having to learn a new language, adapt to a new culture and starting your face to face social network from scratch, there's also a whole load of rather mundane chores that have ended up filling my to do list, front and centre, which seem to primarily consist of shopping and dealing with bureaucracy. 

I seem to have managed to get the basics pretty much sorted - I've got a decent place to stay, in my nice cabin, I've got a starting point into a social network because of that, and I've located where to my basic provisions. 

I've been settled for 10 days now, and have fallen into a pretty easy routine of getting up late (because it's coldish in the mornings), letting the chickens out and feeding them, playing with the dogs for a while, just generally sitting around, dicking about on Hive and Leo for a while, doing some 'real online work', maybe nipping to the shops/ local font, helping out with some chores around the Quinta, putting the chickens to roost and then eating fairly early over a few beers/ glasses de vino, washing up, and then dicking about on Hive/ Leo some more before drifting off to sleep. 

It's a pretty easy life TBH, but I'm dimly aware I'm being lulled into a false sense of security by the very clement mid autumn weather here compared to the UK and my three month tourist status is ticking! 

This coming week has to be 'mundane moving abroad chores' week

![20201017_102834.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/revisesociology/1ALgOfQY-20201017_102834.jpg)
_My address, care of my local post office, feel free to drop me a postcard if you can decipher the post lady's handwriting!_

Here's my to do list for next week! 

1. Get my postal address sorted - where I live is loverly, but it's a bit of a palava getting mail as the address hasn't been registered with the local post office - so I need to go check whether a 'test package' my Dad sent me last week has arrived at one of the possible local post offices. What a shit core to start the week!
2. Sort my decking area out - rain is due very soon, and I've got an outdoor kitchen/ eating area - I could cook and eat in the cabin, but it's nice out here, so I need to get a tarp up at least to give me some protection from the rain. Quite a mission when you can't order anything on Amazon because lack of an address! 
3. Research how to get residency in Portugal and start the process. I don't think this will be too tough, but I understand it takes a couple of trips to two different town halls! Also not helped by the bizarre address situation I've got here!
4. Fix my car - I need to get my scrapes sorted out
5. Decided whether I'm going to get my car re-registered in Portugal or sell and buy a new one. 
6. Have a general dig around some of the Portugal ex pat sites for advice in case I'm missing anything obvious! 
7. Drive and walk around the local area a bit, STILL haven't done this!
8. I also need to do my finances for November, want to get them done early this month, I've been earning fairly well so I can get ahead with them, which is noice. Maybe buy a little more crypto too with any luck. 
9. Cut my hair - I can't believe it's 2 months since my last head shave! 

TBH now I've written it out it sounds like a very doable list for one week. And I should be able to keep on top of my online work, get out for some runs, help on the Quinta, pet the dogs and have plenty time to dick about on Hive and Leo too. 

Well that's the plan at least! 

### Update 

I wrote the above list on Sunday, now it's tipping it down with rain, and I've decided to cross 2 off my list, it's just not going to be practical to rain proof the decking area easily, more to the point it's not necessary!