Moving is hard. There should be special PTO days for moving. It is hard physically, but it is also hard mentally. If you started to think this post was random, I just moved. In the time leading up to the move, I wanted to be enjoying my last days in my home. I wanted to lie on the couch with my puppy and cook dinner in my kitchen. I was lucky I had a minute to shower.
There is so much to do. First, you need to identify what you need to pack. Then, you need to clear space to pack it. Last, you need to pack. In between, you will have to buy the items you realized you don’t own. When you list it out like this, it seems so simple. It is not. There are requirements for each step.
To identify what you need to pack:
- Know what you own
- In each room of the house
- Keep your belongings organized and only in one section of your house
- Or you will have random boxes to unpack
- Have spacial awareness of what will fit in your new place
- Or your parents will have to come back to pick things up
- Communicate with your roommate/boyfriend of what they are bringing
- Or you will have 8 bowls, 15 cups, 26 mugs, and only 4 plates
To clear space to pack it:
- You need to stop living in your house so it can be filled with boxes
2. You will need somewhere to put the furniture you are displacing for your boxes
- I advise having someone strong around to move said furniture
- You should have different spots for each room of the house (if possible)
- This was not possible for me. If not, LABEL the room/what is inside.
To pack:
- You need something to pack in
- Yes, I ran out of boxes. A hint that seems so simple, you can pack inside the bags you are packing.
- You need something to make sure your stuff doesn’t break in transit
- Yes, I asked my mother to pack anything that could possibly break
- You need tape
- Yes, I ran out of tape
To realize what you don’t own:
- Start a list in one location
- I mention this because I had 12 lists in different locations which were very hard to keep track of.
- Determine what you need to buy before moving in or what you could order when you arrive
- It is highly likely that amazon reaches your new address, too.
- Measure your new space before you arrive
- I did not have the luxury of doing this. Day one of living in my apartment, I ran around with my tape measure and went through an ordering frenzy. Please pray that I measured correctly and it all fits.
All in all, it has been a crazy week so far. I hate, with a passion that burns hotter than the sun, living out of boxes. The sooner my furniture can arrive and I can get rid of them, the better. I have so far accidentally dropped all of the makeup out of my drawers 3 times. There was a slight panic attack when I couldn’t locate more than our 2 dirty coffee mugs (out of our 26) before my 7:30 AM meeting. I have only stubbed my toe once. Other than that, I can’t complain. Be prepared for more NYC posts because I am back!
Challenge
Take a deep breath. Lie on your bed, awake, just thinking for 10 minutes. It really helps you relax and clear your mind.