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Hey royals,
Confession time.
What was supposed to take one month...
Has taken three.
And it's still not done.
I genuinely thought by the end of 2025, I'd be writing this from my new place - settled, grounded, finally exhaling.
Instead, I'm writing this in limbo.
Renovation delays.
Loose ends everywhere.
Decisions that shouldn't still be decisions.
And the part that stings a little more than I expected?
I had to cancel my trip to Dubai because I couldn't leave things unresolved here.
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Not because I didn't want to go.
But because when your "home base" isn't stable, your nervous system knows it - even if your calendar says you're free.
What this season taught me (the hard way)
This isn't just about renovation.
It's about people, process, and power.
Here are two lessons I wish I'd taken more seriously from the start:
1️⃣ Communication > Capability
A vendor can be skilled, experienced, even highly recommended - but if their communication is poor, everything becomes harder.
Delays feel heavier.
Problems escalate faster.
Trust erodes quietly.
Skill builds things.
Communication sustains relationships.
2️⃣ Always negotiate leverage - especially payments
Never release full payment before completion.
No matter how nice.
No matter how rushed.
No matter how "almost done" it feels.
Holding partial payment until completion isn't about being difficult - it's about protecting your time, energy, and boundaries.
Leverage isn't control.
It's clarity.
I used to think delays were just inconveniences.
Now I see them as mirrors - showing me where systems were weak, where assumptions were made, and where I gave trust too early without structure.
This home is still in the making.
And maybe... so am I.
No dramatic ending today.
Just presence.
Just honesty.
Just forward motion - even when it's slower than planned.
The story continues...
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