The Moving Planner Blog

Here is another story received today from Santi Meinthes.

My long-distance move, made in January 2007, was from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Mill Bay, Canada. A distance of about 10,500 miles as the crow flies - much further as the plane flies.

Moving myself and my husband was easy - we got on the airplane and flew via London and Vancouver to Victoria, then rented a car and drove to our house which we had purchased some three months earlier.

Moving the cats was a different matter.
Moving the rest of our belongings was easy at first then turned into a pain.

Firstly we had to consider whether it was worth the expense and the time to do what everybody else does, namely, pack everything into a shipping container and ship it. Despite the assurances of the moving agents, anybody who looks at the world map and the shipping routes can work out that it takes a lot longer than the 3 months (!) that they quote to move from Johannesburg to Mill Bay. In fact, even 6 months is an optimistic estimate.

What are you going to sleep on, sit on, cook in, etc during that time? Taking even sufficient clothes, toiletries and just the essential important documents with you personally fills your baggage allowance so you can not take one pot and a set of cutlery as well! (We were way over our limits as it is and had to pay for the extra weight). Maybe you can buy “just the cheap essentials”? What’s the point of doing that, really?

The argument above plus the fact that most of our stuff was old and needed replacement in any case resulted in our decision to fly rather than ship - only the personal and essential small stuff - and to buy completely new furniture and other accoutrements in Canada.

We asked two moving companies who operate internationally (yes, they both operate in the USA as well) to give us quotes. One was not too interested and the agent’s attitude eliminated them almost from the word go. The other was much more helpful and enthusiastic and we selected them. Very well-known but I won’t divulge their name.

They arrived on the appointed day and packed - very well done, they took great care with paintings, fragile paraphernalia, CD’s and so forth.

Now here’s the rub: the contract we signed in South Africa included unpacking, and rearrangement of goods in the destination dwelling, and removal of all packaging material including the crate(s). When it arrived in Vancouver however, we were told that this is NOT included. While trying to sort it out, a truck stopped in front of the house, dumped one 6×9x4 ft wooden crate and one smaller crate in the driveway and left.

It was raining - this is Canada in the winter, remember. I was alone at the house, newly arrived, don’t know a soul. I supposed I should be thankful that at least the goods were delivered to the house and that I did not have to fetch it in Vancouver. I had a screwdriver and a hammer - no crowbar, no trolley, no nothing.

I opened those crates with the screwdriver and hammer (don’t ask), hauled the boxes out (do you know how heavy is a 15×35x30 inch box stuffed with books?), carried the boxes inside and unpacked it. It took two days, and I ended up with a mountain of cardboard and an avalanche of Styrofoam. But at least our stuff was out of the rain.

And there stood the crates - I can’t move the newly purchased vehicle into the garage, and I can’t move the crate by myself - I tried, it was way too heavy.

Fortunately, our calls and emails, and finally, my husband’s personal meeting with the manager back in Johannesburg, resulted in another truck pulling up to my door, and they dismantled and removed the crates and all the packaging material.

Will I recommend this company to anybody else? Of course not. On the contrary.
Will I recommend this kind of move? Yes - we have purchased quality new furniture but all our personal little treasures are still with us and at least the house was transformed into a home within two months.
Will I move again sometime soon? Not bloody likely.

Born Yankee

OK so I’ll admit it. I’m a New Englander through and through. Snow is my favorite season and if you are fortunate enough to live in New England, you know that it doesn’t just fall in the Winter. It has its own season, hence my remark. I love the laid back atmosphere of small town New England life where everybody makes a point to know everybody and his siblings. And even though I wasn’t used to it at the time I encountered it, I also like the aloofness of New England city life. It was in Boston after all that I learned help won’t magically fall deus ex machina style onto you in times of need like it would in the country. However, in a pouring downpour with no umbrella and nylons falling as fast as the rain, if you but speak to a passing person you’ll not only receive directions to your interview but use of their umbrella as well. You see, New England is just that way city or country. And I’m still of the impression there is no better place for me than there.

My decision to leave not only New Hampshire but New England behind was a difficult one. In the Fall of 2006 I’d met the man of the dreams or the man of the hour, after only two months of knowing him I could hardly be sure which. Where he was due to be stationed in Virginia by New Year, our sprouting relationship was doomed to fail if I didn’t agree to make the adventurous 16 hour drive to visit or more sensibly to live. Neither of us wanted a distance relationship. Without a doubt the hardest part of leaving Manchester behind was the life I’d created for myself there. After four years of living in the area, I’d finally found myself in a happy, single state with an urban family to keep me occupied on the weekends when I didn’t quite make it home. My parents, who lived only three hours away would visit and would view Manchester with awe, like I had before living there for awhile. Coming from the woods to the city is quite an experience! In Manchester I had dates and dinners, invitations to bonfires and people who sung to me over the phone and urged me out on special occasions. I hadn’t experienced such acceptance since college. I had a job that paid more than I deserved for work that I loved. My best friend had moved next door. I took walks through the woods before heading to Barnes & Noble. If my life was tea, I had steeped.

In the end it wasn’t me who made the decision to move. My company announced a merger and I was laid off with severance on November 15. The apartment I’d had for just under a year would no longer be affordable without commuting into Boston and I didn’t want to commute into Boston. In retrospect I could have moved into a more affordable place once my lease expired, but what would I do for work? Could I afford a cheaper apartment? Would it be safe? Cheaper apartments are usually in the bad parts of town and I hadn’t had roommates since I graduated college in 2001. I didn’t want a roommate. Perhaps I wanted a relationship?

I convinced my boyfriend to remain in New Hampshire through Thanksgiving. As much as I love New Hampshire anyway, having him enjoying the area with me made it all the better. We shared a meal with my parents in Northern New Hampshire and all too soon I watched him start on his long drive back to his parent’s home in Alabama for Christmas. It was hard watching him go. The small studio I’d rented seemed even smaller without his few items stuffed here or there. I decided to spend as much time with my family as I could before the move and practically lived with them during my final month of the lease. Eventually I did have to make the drive to my silent apartment to start packing. Seeing everything around me gradually disappear into Public Storage boxes and tote bags felt like I’d pulled the plug on my life all too soon. It had taken me four years to create that happy life and here I was leaving it all behind for the unknown. I had very little faith the relationship would last longer than my apparent six months maximum and I’d only been to Virginia once before moving there! What was I doing?

The night before the move I received a phone call from my boyfriend. He was on his way to Virginia from Alabama and we’d meet at the apartment we’d both selected on an earlier trip down the next day. For all intents and purposes it was a done deal. My car was packed and the only thing I kept on hand was a pillow and the phone. I tearfully explained I “couldn’t do it”. I couldn’t leave my family, my friends and my life behind. Going to college was only two hours from my Mom and that was hard enough. How would I see her, my nephews and everyone else? I’d never flown and they wouldn’t fly or drive that distance. I wasn’t too keen on driving it myself honestly. I told him no. He hung up on me only after asking me the unanswerable “what am I supposed to do now?” I cried myself to sleep but felt relieved. At least I had made the right decision for me. Mom was pleased when I told her too by phone. It had to be the right decision. My best friend next door agreed it was a good decision too and he’d been the one most encouraging about giving things a chance “down there.” In the morning I awoke to the phone. It was my boyfriend. He said he’d been thinking and it was OK if I didn’t want to move but we shouldn’t be apart on New Years Eve. He asked me to come down “just for the weekend” and while I was reluctant, I felt I owed it to him. He’d been so good to me. He deserved this. I left the next morning with my car still packed. He was so good to me he agreed to drive extra into Maryland and meet me at the hotel we’d stayed in on our one and only trip down. He knew how nervous I was about getting lost on the last leg of the trip.

Seeing him again through that ground floor hotel room window (even before he threw open the door) changed everything. I knew once I’d stepped through that door that I wouldn’t be going back to New Hampshire without him. He teased that he’d force me to leave on Monday but by Sunday we were unpacking my car together. That was it. I’d arrived in Virginia Beach and I’d be here for three years. We didn’t have furniture yet but we, being happy to be reunited, had fast food picnics on our floor. We watched movies on his laptop and I called my Mom from his cell phone.It wasn’t too long before things came together down here too. He took special liberty to bring me home to get my cat who had been living with Mom during the move stress. I found employment in the Human Resources of a publishing company albeit temporary. It was only once here that I realized how very different, even Virginia is from New England.

I suppose Southern Hospitality applies even this far “North”. They’re quick to state they aren’t “Southerners” here, but I believe differently. The most notable characteristic of Virginians is their ready friendliness. Everyone talks to everyone and seems to want to know everyone. It’s happened to me in laundry mats, at bus stops and even in grocery stores. People converse with strangers here. At first I thought I’d found Mecca, a big city with small town values. Over time I learned it’s a little different. Over time I learned that the initial Southern Hospitality displayed was their way of sizing you up. From answers you gave to specific questions you’d be pegged into likable or dis-likable categories. Without the realization that this was the reasoning behind the friendliness, I answered everything exactly as I would have back home. I’ve since learned to be less open. Perhaps it’s a negative thing to say but I just simply prefer the New England trait of people only associating with people they have a genuine desire in being friends with. You’re not sized up in New England unless someone is genuinely interested in you. The sizing might not happen right away. Down here, everyone is sized up almost equally and always immediately. Like I said, it’s a bit different.

The other challenge I had to contend with was the fact that everyone I seem to encounter here is extremely conservative. In a prior job I was in the process of being sized up (unaware I was of course, I thought we were just chatting casually) when I mentioned something about having a Wiccan Gay friend back home. Jaws dropped literally and before I knew it I was back to work alone and virtually ignored the rest of the day. To this day I don’t know which part offended them more. I don’t want to say that everyone who is religious is conservative, but it seems that those I’ve encountered here want you to either be Baptist or dead. Things don’t bode so well for those of us with no religious affiliation at all. It appears you only have spirit here if you actively attend, kind of like you can only be a true Southerner if you love grits. It’s rare you travel anywhere here without hearing God spoken of as often as food. It’s a cultural thing that took a few months to get used to. Back home religion is more “personal” from my experience. I definitely never heard a coworker up North stand up and say “God spoke to me and told me I was a prophet” followed by a fellow coworker’s “Praise Jesus!” I had to hold back my quite New England reaction of “Well if you’re truly a prophet, why are you working in a debt collection’s agency?”

I’ve lived in Virginia Beach a full year now and that’s enough to make me realize that most people in this area aren’t even from this area. It’s an area populated primarily to support the War On Terror it seems and there’s nowhere you’ll be able to go without seeing evidence of a military lifestyle. In a way the area reminds me of a letter I once received from a Malaysian pen pal I once had. She praised God and her President in the same breath. It’s that way here too. God and Bush, Bush and God. My motto can no longer be “Live Free or Die”. It has to be “Love Both Or Leave”. Forgive me for saying this, but “I’m Still Here!” And as for the family and friends I left behind when I left New Hampshire…they’re still here too. Technology is a marvelous thing and I’m able to talk to Mom on the phone every morning. My friends I keep in touch with via email and regular letters and on those rare occasions I have made it home, sure it seems impossible to gather together friends in three different states for a brief period of time on a workday when I happen to be able to swing through but you know something, it happens. Sometimes I think they were more distant when I lived next door.

The point in all of this is that even when you don’t expect or want to make a long move away from life as you’ve known it so far, that life doesn’t vanish with the packing of your car or a really expensive moving truck. You don’t lose friends or family once you hop on the turnpike. Sure you may find yourself in an area with different beliefs, values or customs then you’re used to but that doesn’t mean you should rule out the possibility that even here, in an area so remote from all you love, that you can’t make another new and good life. People are downright people. Eventually you will find friends and you will find parts of your new city that remind you of your old one. I like to go to a park nearby and sit on the grass. It reminds me of the fields near Mom’s and on a quiet day I can go back without ever having to pay a toll.

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The day dawned bright and sunny, a perfect California moving day. We were bound for Oregon, with the promise of closeness to family and a new, better-paying job. We had found a house under construction and were committed to purchasing it. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

I picked up my friend and we drove to the local UHaul dealership. I requested the truck I had reserved over a month prior.
“Well,” said the cashier, “it looks like we don’t have any trucks available for out-of-state one-way moves today.”
“What? I made the reservation over a month ago, and confirmed it last week!”
“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have any trucks available to go to Oregon.”
We went back and forth like this for a few minutes, and I realized that I was going to either lose my temper and possibly regret my actions, or we were going to have to go elsewhere.

I felt cheated. How could a company do business like this? We made some calls and finally ended up with a great big, yellow Penske truck that drove like a Cadillac. The only problem was that it had to come back to California. So many people were moving away from the Bay Area in 2001; the truck rental companies had insufficient inventory to supply one-way movers.

My wife had gone on ahead with the kids in the minivan, and I still had a car to bring. My father agreed that he would bring the car and meet me halfway, when the time came to return the truck. Our great friends loaded the truck and wished me well. I rolled the door closed over all our belongings and set off. As I wished San Jose well, I adjusted my 34-year-old buns in the seat, and hunkered down for a 17-hour drive into the night.

I-5 is a trucker’s paradise. These loud and long behemoths dominate the night, often trailing two or three boxcars in their wake. My majestic Penske, so bold in the daylight, became a doddering nuisance among the rightful rulers of the roadway. As they rumbled by, often at speeds over 90 miles per hour, I wondered at the lack of police presence on the open road.

Being graced with a relatively small bladder, I was forced to stop every 100 miles or so to relieve myself. I sensed an uneasy camaraderie with the truckers, once we were out of our vehicles and exposed like so many turtles without shells. They walked upright and urinated like men, although I knew they were human avatars of metal gods, released to earth for only a moment before being chained back into their thundering cages.

I drove through the night. When I felt drowsy, I pulled off the road and slept for 20 minutes at a time, grateful to be moving along without a real schedule. The next day, I pulled into Portland with bloodshot eyes and a fresh perspective.

My impression of long-distance moving does not mean the same as that of someone moving, say, across the country or around the world. But for me the move to Oregon rises among the memories of my life for a number of important reasons.

First, it was at a time that I had lived half my life in California and half elsewhere. I romanticized my early life in Oregon, hoping I could one day move back to my childhood home at the base of Mount Hood. But California represented freedom, and sunshine, and it was there that I sobered up for the last time to date. So it wasn’t easy.

Second, this was the first real opportunity we had as a family to make a big move that would change our whole lives. Sure, we had enjoyed some success with jobs and homes, but this meant a whole new community and a different experience of family. My wife was ready to leave her matriarchal family and launch in a new direction. We had a false expectation of being able to connect with my mother on a longer term (she passed away a year after we moved) but a church family stepped into the void, and we have enjoyed deep and meaningful relationships with friends.

Third, it was the physical separation of my son from me (born to my girlfriend in 1990, the year I sobered up). I see him now on scheduled visits (and he has achieved frequent flyer status on Alaska Airlines) but there is an open wound on both of us from that separation that may never heal. My girls sometimes forget him in family prayers or wishes, and for that I am sorry.

But overall, the move has been positive. We have enjoyed increased health and vitality as a family, and have been able to address some long-standing issues with debt and emotional maturity. I recommend that type of move to anyone.

Another more Moving Story

Me and my wife have moved numerous times, from one city to another in Ohio, then from Ohio to West Virginia, then from West Virginia to Virginia and finally, from one city in Virginia to another in Virginia. Each have had their own unique challenges and obstacles, and I have to say, each experience was definitely a learning one.

The first time we moved was from Wilberforce, OH to the suburbs of Dayton, OH, it was a natural move because we were sick of being on campus and were working in the city anyway and figured that it made more sense to be there than it did to be on campus. The downside was that, having to commute into Wilberforce, from suburbs that were on the side of town furthest from the campus we lost motivation for going to school altogether. That wouldn’t have mattered if we had built a solid foundation on the jobs that we were working; we could have inevitably taken the money from the jobs and paid for classes and finished up that way.

The lesson here is that if you are going to move away from a conservative solution to your financial problems, you have to take a radical approach to creating a foundation elsewhere. I’ll never knock education, because it is essential; if you aren’t going to college you’re getting a certificate or learning valuable skills on the job, but it is a conservative option that assumes a few factors will remain in place. One is that you will always have the money to finish school, regardless of whatever else happens, second is that you can acquire the money to finish school if the money is not already there for you, third, of course, is that you have the resolve to finish school and are sincere about it.
When school is a means to an end you will inevitably seek an easier means to that end if you cannot rationalize the differences and importance of finishing up one way as opposed to another. Moving should be seen in the same light; if you are going to move from one city to another what are you really doing it for? Unless you know for sure that you can make more money in the place you are moving to, you’re rather foolish for doing so. Everyone will attempt to instill fear in you about the move, but regardless of what expenses are where you’re moving, you’re always better off having more money to contemplate than you are having less money to worry about. You may be making $8 an hour, and only paying $300 in rent and that seems great, but chances are jobs are rather difficult to come by where you’re at. You could make $12 an hour and pay $700 in rent, but you could get a job the next day if this one doesn’t work out. It is a sacrifice but one worth making; having a lot of money in the bank is useless if you cannot spend it the way you need to where you live at.

Our second move was from the suburbs of Dayton, OH into the inner city. We didn’t really have much of a choice in the manner because we weren’t doing right with the rent where we were at, and it wasn’t even as though we couldn’t afford it either. But at the time all it took was to get behind on the rent 2 or 3 times to be evicted; new apartments were being built all the time in the suburbs and companies weren’t that stressed to have you stay there, it was a sellers market at the time.
We did okay for a long time in the inner city, until we picked up other bills; an automobile payment, furniture rentals, etc. We were always buying automobiles that were junk and cost about as much to rebuild as it did to own them. The lesson to learn is that you have to have control over your expenses; you may want to downgrade to get out of your situation, but if you pick up additional responsibilities your situation hasn’t improved one bit. We had to drive 15 miles out of the way to find a decent grocery store, or walk 3 miles to a local store that sold spoiled food. In suburbia grocery stores were but a few blocks away.

The inner city only reflects the economic conditions of the metropolitan area overall. If the suburbs do well, and the inner city is hell, it only says that your town is dying and people have built up the suburbs to get away from the city, redistributing their wealth along with it. These are the same people who like the area enough to stay close to the city but hate the inner city enough to move out of it, yet do not have the initiative to try somewhere else entirely. They do not hate what the city could be, but do hate what it has become. When visiting towns, take a mental note of the differences between neighborhoods in the city and the suburbs. Ask questions, the more research you do, the better prepared you will be.
Feeling stuck in Dayton and dealing with the circus of high crime, poverty, and shifty jobs we figured we’d give it a shot elsewhere. I moved in with my inlaws in an area that was okay if you were well established but no so good otherwise. It seemed to be more of a commuter town where people pretty much stayed to themselves, unless their work was in that town. I had a one way commute to a job in another state an hour and fifteen minutes away if the weather was such that I couldn’t travel back home. Plus I was only making $8 an hour.
The lesson to be learned here was the travesty of paying state taxes to two different municipalities. In fact I’m still paying state taxes, which are being garnished as we speak. I inevitably moved to one of the suburbs of that town, but the damage was already done. That job lasted for a while actually, but the major employer was the University, and the bulk of the rest of the work was in factories, which I didn’t have a lot of skill at, though I did give it that good old college try. I just wasn’t fast enough for it.

When I did loose that job, and tried to get back into the type of work I was accustomed, it was anywhere from 20 minutes to well over an hour away. I had to get the work first in order to get an apartment, but couldn’t get the apartment because I could never get the work. I did manage to get another interview where I was at, but was serious considering moving to Charlottesville, which seemed to be more in line with where I wanted to go. But unless you were living in Charlottesville, you weren’t going to hear about the jobs there, as there wasn’t much to be found on the Internet job boards. Some of what I did come across you had to be overqualified for.

We were at a crossroads; I figured I could backpack and work up in Northern Virginia and come home on the weekends. Rent was outrageous, but then again the jobs I was coming across would make it worthwhile if we were both working up there. I must have told this story like a million times for anyone who has asked how I ended up in Chesapeake. My mother was pressuring me to move back to Akron, but I was looking at the wages up there and comparing them to where I wanted to go. Even in Cleveland, it still didn’t sit right with me, though Cleveland was a town that intrigued me while I was growing up.

On a whim I decided to apply for a job where I’m living at now, and it all worked out. I was okay with it at first, but I’m thinking about putting in that old college try at moving just once again. A lot of it is greed and the addiction of seeing just how much I can get with what I have to have, the other part of it is that I’m still not exactly where I want to be at. We still talk about heading up to New York on weekends, or checking out any of the other cities on the coast where I may have a chance in hell of making more money. I figured it’s worth it to try, and I’m restless unless I feel that there is some upwards momentum of some kind. Then again perhaps life isn’t all about that; making the money so that you can have the disposable income for stuff you probably do not need. But without that what is there to look forward to I wonder; whatever you do, wherever you find yourself, you may have found what feels like home to you or you may be restless. Perhaps you are supposed to see remote parts of the country, of this world. Perhaps you want those notches on your belt, as I sit looking out the window contemplating it again, watching download free ringtones tracfonefree polyphonic ringtones usacingular free phone real ringtonesfunny free mp3 ringtonesfree downloadable mp3 ringtonesinfo personal polyphonic remember ringtones voice,info personal polyphonic remember ringtones,info personal polyphonic remember ringtones sprintringtones converter,midi ringtones converter,converter joy ringtones serialmp3 ringtones creatorfree phone ringtones samsungsamsung mobile ringtones,samsung ringtones,free samsung x427 ringtonesfree ringtones from jamster,free info jamster remember ringtones,free jamster ringtonesmobile phone ringtones tdownload lg phone ringtones,download ringtones to phone,download info phone remember ringtonescrazy download free frog ringtonescricket wireless ringtonesdownload free christian ringtonesfree lg ringtones verizon wirelessfree ringtones verizoncomputer download free ringtonesmusic nextel real ringtonesfree ringtones converterfree arabic mobile ringtones,free arabic ringtones,arabic free info remember ringtonescell free lg phone ringtonesfree ringtones for alltel phonenextel ringtones programno fax payday loancheap loan payday,cheap loan long payday termquick payday loan same day,loan online? payday quick ?,loan payday quickfree loan payday,hassle free payday loan,interest free payday loanno checking account payday loanbest payday loanonline payday loan applicationlow cost payday loanguaranteed no fax payday loanfaxless loan online paydayfast cash payday loan,payday us fast cash loanpayday loan in canada,canada in loan only payday,canada loan online paydaylow interest payday loanno fax payday advance loanpayday loan cash advance loancompany loan payday,how to start payday loan company,starting payday loan companyaafes loan payday30 day payday loaninstant loan online paydayfast cash payday advancecalgary payday loanaccount loan payday savings,account loan payday savings using,payday loan in savings accountcheap payday loanquick payday loanfast cash advance payday loan the next apartment being built into the heavens, or new lanes added to the roads to accommodate even more traffic, there are mixed feelings about moving, something I am too lax to do, yet something that inevitably needs to be done. Conflicted as usual, but then again I wouldn’t have it any other way …

Moving can be fun and exciting, whether it’s across town or to another location far away. The key to having a fun and stress free move is to plan it out. How can you do this? Well when I moved a year ago from my hometown to another town five and half hours away. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I mean it’s not like you can just drive back to the place you once dwelled in to collect that favorite sweater you left behind, or that old beaten up chair you love to watch CSI in. So I knew I had to be prepared, making sure everything came with me before I left. I also didn’t want things to turn me into an anger ball (stress case) something I or anybody else doesn’t need when dealing with a life changing event. Below you will find the top ten things I did to turn a long distance move into a sparkling adventure of fun!

1.) List… list… list.

It’s important to be prepared. So I wrote down a list, or rather an archive of everything I owned (furniture wise) that I wanted to take with me. Sofa, chair, television, small table with burn hole in it. Yes it had to come it was a gift from my brother. You can make a list of furniture, things to clean in each room, things to make sure you do before you go like changing your address. When moving day finally came, I felt good as I ticked off each piece being loaded for transport. Nothing of mine was getting left behind. Guys don’t forget to pack my yellow hula lamp. Hey she glows in the dark, and dances for me. That’s a must have!

2.) Yard Sale / Give away.

Okay I had stuff I didn’t need when I moved. Who doesn’t? There is no better way to make an extra few dollars then to have a yard sale and sell your crap. All the stuff I didn’t end up selling gave me a few options for free give-aways. Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Local Churches, and my favorite your local Freecycle Network on-line http://www.freecycle.org/. They are all awesome choices.

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Just ask the junk brothers, home show stars who take peoples crap and turn it into art. Besides, it gave me less to pack into the boxes so how could I complain.

3.) Boxes.

Okay this one scared me at first. Finding boxes isn’t always easy, unless you know where to look. I wasn’t prepared to stink myself up and go dumpster diving, so I ventured to several local liquor stores in town. They always have boxes. I went in and asked when their deliver dates were and if they could set some boxes aside for me.

If you don’t have a friend to help you carry the boxes home (which I didn’t) I’m lonely can’t you tell. I ended up using a shopping cart to transport my much needed packing supplies and carting them home to use. It was easy. Other places you can check for boxes are: local fruit markets, packing supply stores, shopping malls, grocery stores, and libraries.

Another option: Go to Walmart or Target and buy bins with lids. They make packing dishes and clothes and linens easy. They stack great, and you can reuse them in your place to pack away things you need to like Christmas decorations.

4.) Packing up & Cleaning.

This depends on whether you are organized (unlike myself) or lazy (like me) and hate to pack. Packing can be easy though if you just follow what I did, which was to go room by room. I packed everything I was taking and not using or knew I wouldn’t use before moving. Once the room was packed I cleaned it, washed the walls, floors, vacuumed etc and checked the room off my list. In the bathroom I packed all my crap, kept the box open and made sure to put away the things I used after.

Things that got packed immediately were: all my knickknacks, linens, extra pillows, blankets, clothes (who cares if you wash and wear the same 3 pairs of pants and 3 tops for a week.). I packed up my entire kitchen (contemporary kitchen design new york), leaving my food box open to the side, and I left myself one dish, one of each utensil, one glass, and that was it. This way it was easier for me to clean my cupboards out, wash behind the fridge and stove (or no deposit returned remember) and although my house seemed bare, I was ready to go.

Hint: Take down your bed if you have a frame, and move your mattress to the living room. I did this, because I didn’t care if I slept on the mattress only for a week or so, and I put all my packed boxes in that bedroom giving me more space. I used Vera Bradley Luggage to carry my value staff.

5.) Moving Party!

It’s fun to involve the friends you are leaving behind. I gathered up everyone I knew, and when the big day came, everyone helped to move the stuff outside to be loaded onto the truck. Music played in the background, cans of pop were handed out, and I ordered pizza. I checked off my list, went through the house for one final sweep which was basically clean because I’d done each room after packing it. It was a fun farewell, everything was finished and I felt good that I was done and organized.

Moving doesn’t have to be stressful no matter where you move. It can be fun by making a few lists, organizing yourself a bit, call on your friends to help by having several packing parties and so forth. Hopefully your move will go just as smooth as mine did. I wish you luck!

Psychologists classify moving as one of the most stressful occurrences of life, and this stress falls most heavily on the woman of the house. The smart woman will tap into the science and art of aromatherapy to make the day go smoothly.

Believe it or not, specifically choosing a discount perfume for the day based on aromatherapy principles will have a proven impact on the success of your move. And since our moods and energy levels change over the course of the day, we can also use the same principles to use different fragrances to boost different times during the day.

Basic Principles and Recommendations:

You’ll want to attend to your personal morning hygiene using an invigorating soap, perhaps something minty to wake you up, then freely apply deodorant/anti-perspirant. This will keep you fresh during the day, and also give you a clean, clear base for your fragrance to work from. Unscented anti-perspirant and talc are best, as they won’t interfere with your chosen aromas. Note to self: pack deodorant and fragrances in a day pack or purse, not in a box that will disappear into the truck.

Citrus, Spice, and Mint are uplifting, inspiring, and calm the jitters. They improve thinking, clear the senses, and are mildly anti-melancholic. These may include any citrus, bergamot, pineapple, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, and any mint. If you are looking at a vigorous day’s work, these scents will jump-start you. These aromas are good for morning energy and that early afternoon push.

Two excellent fragrances that fit this therapy are Cool Water by Davidoff, and Amarige Mariage by Givenchy. Cool Water includes citrus, pineapple, woody undertones, and the scent of ocean air. Amarige Mariage includes bitter orange, bergamot, cinnamon, patchouli, jasmine, and magnolia. Both of these scents apply to the principles that will give you an uplifting and invigorating sensation, quickening the senses and calming anxiety.

Herbals, Florals, and Sweet Fruits are soothing, balancing, and anti-melancholic. They calm the spirit, enhance mental focus, and improve confidence. These may include lavender, sage, rosemary, rose, lilac, peach and apple. If you are supervising movers and tying up loose ends, these scents will give you the calm clarity you need to see it through. Herbal aromas will also help you unwind when applied at the end of your busy day.

Three great fragrances in this category are Design by Ralph Lauren perfume, touch perfume by Burberry, and Lovely by Sara Jessica Parker. Design includes peach, gardenia and sandalwood for a confidence-improving anti-melancholic effect. White Diamonds includes rose, lily, amber and sandalwood for similar effect with a slightly more soothing undertone. Lovely includes lavender, orchid, apple and musk, for more focus and balance along with the calming effects.

Sweet and Familiar scents are calming and anti-melancholic, and have been shown to release endorphins, increasing happiness. These may include vanilla, honey, chocolate, coffee and molasses. While that sounds odd for a discount perfume, slight hints of these fragrances are not necessarily easy to identify, but they register in our minds. These aromas will calm you and dissolve any uneasiness, and will have a similar friendly, calming effect on the people working around you.

A wonderful fragrance with these attributes is Angel by Thierry Mugler. It includes honey, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, patchouli and apricot. This unique mix of happy scents with minty patchouli and soothing apricot make it a great option for moving day. This is also a good one to apply in the evening when you’re done moving, while you’re settling into your new home.

Apply scents in the “hot spots” of the neck, wrists and knees as usual, and feel free to reapply during the day when you need a boost. Don’t be afraid to switch to a new scent later in the day, to refresh or relax your mind and relax your body.

By: Alicia Crowder

I recently moved from Houston, Texas to Denver, Colorado and then, 7 months later, moved back from Denver, Colorado to Houston, Texas. The move back to Houston was really no big deal because I had already spent many years in Houston and knew what was what, where to go and who to talk to.
However, moving to Denver was much more of a challenge than I expected it to be. I was fortunate that within a couple weeks of my arrival, I found a nice house within a five-minute drive of my new job. However, what I didn’t count on was how difficult it might be to handle all of the little moving details.

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In Houston, I can find nearly everything I ever need on-line by using a simple keyword search and poof, I have the information that I need to do anything that I need to do. I never gave the level of appreciation that was owed to such magic though, until I moved to Denver, Colorado.
I found it to be an interesting place, with quite a variety of people who had moved there for the amazing scenery from all over the world. It is also quite a hi-tech town in a lot of ways. It seemed that majority of coffee shops all had free wi-fi, and almost anything you wanted to purchase was extremely easy to find on Denver. Craigslist.org. It was amazing.

However, try to find a garbage disposal service that will come to your house in the suburbs by looking online…. Trust me, it is not an easy task. I looked up every keyword I could imagine only to be hit with one brick wall after another. When I finally found my neighbor at home, they were able to go rummage through their bills to get me the name of the company that they used and finally the struggles were over in that arena, but I was living there for over a month before that miracle occurred.

Had I not been able to get my neighbors to speak to me, I would have either been SOL or I would have had to stay home from work and stalk the garbage man, standing in the middle of the street and preventing him from moving forward without threatening my life in order to get this little, simple piece of information.

I (NOT exagerrating!) called about 20 different places before receiving my neighbor’s help and of course, I couldn’t do this all in one day, as I had to work during the working hours that the other businesses were open. Ironically, none of them “serviced my area!”

Then there was the water company, the cable company, the electric company AND the gas company all to deal with. I have moved many times around Houston area, but never found it to be so amazingly complicated as it was there.

This was also not my first rodeo where cross-country moving was concerned. I have moved from Minnesota to Nevada. I have moved from Minnesota to Texas. Both of those experiences were relatively smooth and simple. There were usually moving packs that came in the mail or simple web or phone book searches always provided me with a few minutes of work and suddenly, I was moved and could focus on the important part…..unpacking!
Basically, this experience taught me that you never know what you will expect when you move somewhere very new. One lesson is to NEVER assume a house that you are moving into has air conditioning. It may not.
Wow, how spoiled we are down here in Houston. The house I rented in Colorado only had a swamp cooler, which, I’ve been advised, isn’t worth much. Not to mention that it was only located upstairs!

I never ended up getting water put in the swamp cooler and seeing how well it would do though, but don’t take my laziness in that regard to mean that it doesn’t get hot in Colorado during the summertime, because that would be another sad mistake to make. I was told that it didn’t get all that hot in Colorado, but it was all lies.

I’ve found that there are certain, favorite places that many people visit and overly romanticize. When you choose to move somewhere new, just expect that there will most likely be problems you may experience that you never even imagined having to deal with until you have moved across the country and into “unfamiliar territory.”

No matter what anyone tells you. No matter how nice a place may have seemed when you visited. You still may be hit with any number of little complications or very strange, peculiar little scenarios when you move across the country.

I’m publishing here some letters that came to my desk.

Pleased to say that the move was excellent. The four men acted as a smooth working team each knowing his responsibility. Not only were they performing physically perfect during the move but their attitudes were more than pleasant. We’ll move again in a year or two and will call Flat Rate San Francisco once again.
Flat Rate Los Angeles movers showed up on time, and did the job quickly and efficiently.

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Flat Rate San Francisco movers were excellent - very efficient regarding time - extremely polite & helpful. Flat Rate San Francisco was very easy to work with and very helpful!

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I hate moving but Flat Rate Los Angeles made it easy. The slight premium over the competition was worth it to know there would be no last minute charges.Like most people, I absolutely dread moving. Flat Rate San Francisco made it easy. I would use them again in a heart beat.

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EXCELLENT, PROFESSIONAL MOVE. THANK YOU FLAT RATE SAN FRANCISCO. I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYBODY. YOU RESPONDED FOR A MOVE WITHING 24 HOURS WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE AND PERFORMED THE JOB PERFECTLY!

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What an easy move. Flat Rate Los Angeles staff from start to finish was so marvelous to deal with. Many thanks for a great job!

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Gregory and his staff, Eric and Louis, were our movers and they provided us with excellent service. They were very courteous and hardworking. We were very surprised with how neatly and secure all of our belongings were packed. It only took us a total of six hours to move, the guys were great. I’d recommend your service to anyone. Thanks Flat Rate Moving Los Angeles!

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Not only did you match my every expectation, but you far exceeded them. Agi was terrific on the phone helping us decide to use you and get everything coordinated. Jake and his crew arrived on time, took exactly the length of time they said it would were so careful and protective of my property and artwork, and in general were a pleasure to work with. When the concierge arrived at my office to see how everything was going, I was blown away with your commitment to customer satisfaction. I have already recommended them to 2 other tenants in my former office building, as why call anyone other than flat rate movers? Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco for making a stressful experience a pleasure.

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THANX SOOO MUCH! The complete Service was GREAT!!!!!! Thanx again Flat Rate Los Angeles & I recommend you Guys 2 Everyone!!!! The guys were great!! Very respectful with my belongings. They even got a telephone booth down the stairs in ten minutes! Would definitely recommend to everyone I know. Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco for making my move smooth!!

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Everyone at Flat Rate Los Angeles was very easy to work with and very helpful!

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YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!!! I WOULD RECCOMEND FLAT RATE LOS ANGELES TO ANYONE AT ANYTIME. THIS IS MY THIRD MOVE WITH FLAT RATE LOS ANGELES IN 3 YRS, ONE CROSS COUNTRY. YOU GUYS HAVE MADE THE FACT THAT I TRAVEL SO MUCH WITH MY JOB “OK”! ALL THE BEST!!!

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Very good thorough job on my furniture: I had United moving me (for a much higher price) just a few months ago and they didn’t wrap most of the wood furniture so I found scratches and corners buffed…all the pieces were carefully wrapped up by Flat Rate San Francisco movers, and carefully unpacked and laid out…I’m very thankful! Forgot to mention the two guys that unloaded my stuff, super nice and friendly and helpful and cheerful, which helps! Ivan and Ernesto Good job!

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Flat Rate Los Angeles movers, Juan 1, Juan 2, and Grayson were great! Thanks!

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Everything proceeded without a hitch. Thanks for your professional handling of my move Flat Rate San Francisco. The movers arrived early and worked very quickly. Not only that, but they were very careful with our furniture and put it all back together very nicely. Our belongings are in great shape still. Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles!

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Manny and his team were amazing! We truly appreciated their professionalism and promptness. Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco. Manny and his crew were very professional, patient, and fast. I would definitely use those same guys again.

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Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco, I was very satisfied by the willingness of Ivan, Ernesto, Abundio??, Richard and Jose (I hope I got all their names correctly) to accommodate me during the packing of my things. When I asked for extra care, they gave it. They were friendly and cheerful even though they did not eat lunch on the second day because they wanted to finish and did not want to delay by taking time for lunch. It was fun working with them and I am looking forward to them returning my things in a few months.

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Flat Rate Los Angeles men were really very quick, fast, efficient and caring.
I had a wonderful experience - both with Flat Rate New York team and Flat Rate Los Angeles team…they were professional, very polite, and respectful of my things. I would gladly recommend your service to friends and family.

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I used Flat Rate for two separate moves recently, both from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Without exception, every representative was kind and willing to help. I had contemplated using a specialized mover to ship some very important recording studio items, but after having them move my personal items, there was no need to go anywhere else. In fact, there is no need to EVER go anywhere else. Ina Korac was an incredible help in both instances. Igor & Juan’s crews treated our possessions with care and respect. You give your life over to someone when you move - I’d give it over to Flat Rate for the next one, no doubt about it. Thank you so much Flat Rate Los Angeles.

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The movers worked fast and efficiently. My whole 2 bedroom apartment was moved out and into the new place in under 4 hours. Perfect! The team consisting of Juan, Enrique, Abundio, and Federico we’re courteous and friendly. I would give them an A+! Flat Rate San Francisco is the best moving company I have ever worked with, and will continue working with them.
Movers were very professional and hard-working! I had a horrible experience with another moving company and was delighted with your company. I’ve already recommended Flat Rate San Francisco movers to a few people.

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Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles! Cleo and his crew were extremely efficient and very courteous. I would highly recommend them all and thank all of them for a job WELL DONE!!!
Boris is a great foreman; Jose and Abundio were fantastic! All three guys worked their

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#$%^s off and took great care of my furniture! Please give them all raises! Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco!

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I want to thank you Los Angeles Movers, for making our first cross country move as easy and stress free as possible. The movers that showed up were polite, friendly, and very professional. Our furniture was delivered as promised, on time and in good condition with no damage. Again thank you and your team very much.

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The team made my move so easy and quick. They were so friendly and careful with my things and made the whole process stress-free. I will use them again and have already recommended Flat Rate San Francisco to others. Excellent customer service and follow through. Troy Amidon was great to work with and really helped us thru the process. The moving company were extremely thorough and hard working. Juan and his team did an amazing job packing and moving all of our furniture and belongings! Will HIGHLY RECOMMEND Flat Rate San Francisco Movers!!

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I had a wonderful moving experience. As much as I hate to move I never thought that would be something I would say. But, the movers were very professional and worked quickly and got my move done in only 3-4 hours. Julio, Jaun 3, Omar, and Rigoberto did a WONDERFUL job and if (hopefully not too soon!) I have to move again I will ask for them by name. I will definitely be recommending Flat Rate Los Angeles Movers to my friends!

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Fast, friendly, and efficient - I couldn’t ask for more! Thanks Flat Rate LA!
I appreciated the promptness with which a representative contacted me once I asked for more information (24 hours). The follow up via phone and email was also really friendly and helpful. The movers did a tremendous job. They were fast, careful, and friendly. They packed our belongings in 2.5 hours and unpacked them in 2 hours. It was a great relief knowing our move was being handled in such a professional manner. It made moving 400 miles a breeze.

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Thanks Flat Rate SF for hiring such reliable people.
Moving is never easy but my wife and I were very happy with our experience. Manny and his crew did a great job and I will be sure to use them when I move again. Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles.
Thank you Flat Rate San Francisco. My move was excellent - my movers were the best I’ve ever had. They made my move simple and stress-free!
I could not have been happier with the entire experience. All the movers were professional, courteous and incredibly hard working- it could not have gone better. I would recommend Flat Rate Los Angeles to anyone who is planning a move.
Really nice crew: fast, efficient & friendly. Thank you Flat Rate LA. Since our stuff just went from your storage facility to our new one, we haven’t unpacked to check everything. So far we’re happy with the move. The salesperson gave very good information and quotes. The crew was timely, very friendly and helpful, even with the extra that was needed to help the move successful. It is wonderful to know that a storage facility is available if you do not have one of your own. Thank you Flat Rate San Francisco.
The crew was great! Cleo really took charge and provided excellent service. Each one worked really hard, Cleo, Ryan, Gregory and Eric. They showed real team work and when I first met them they shook my hand and introduced themselves. Great Crew - I would highly recommend Flat Rate LA. They went up and above and did a wonderful and careful job of moving everything.

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I would like to tell you that my move exceeded all of my expectations.
My movers: Jose, Pasha, and Ivan were incredibly efficient, courteous,
and professional. I would recommend Flat Rate San Francisco to anyone, and the movers that worked my job were top notch!

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The move was great. I really want to complement Julio Lozano and his
team. They did an excellent job– very professional. Also, I really
appreciated the gesture that Mr. Vilchez came by to check if everything
was all right. All in all, a great job. Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles.
Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco. I have used your services 4 x in the last 2 years and I would strongly recommend your moving company.

Moving house can certainly be extremely exciting, irrespective of it being near or far. Yet the reality is, that the further a field you move the more stress you endure. Long distance moves places us in the position of needing to undertake a whole lot more, than if the new residence was close at hand.
First and foremost, prior to committing yourself to the major upheaval, one really needs to do a little research about the new locality. If you are moving for work reasons how will you get there and how long shall this take each day? Will this move end up costing you more than if you stay put and not get that promotion? Will living here be a wise choice or a bad move (pardon the pun?)

Your local council can fill you in on the good, the bad, and the ugly in lieu of the new area. This will also include the crime rate, the equity increases and the best and worse areas to choose for your future residence. Insurance agencies can also tell you where the crime rate is the worse. The local police will do so also.

Secondly is this move rural or in the heart of a city? Living in the country does bring with it sweet images of white picket fences, sunflowers dancing in the breeze, and energetic sheepdogs. Yet the reality is that we are often ostracized from others, and at risk if our health is not good.
Thus we need to ensure that we know exactly where the medical centers are, as well as the emergency centers. Not only that, but please take into account that loneliness can and often does, lead to major depression.

Now having checked out schools, workplaces and so forth, another thing many of us tend to forget is insurance. Accidents occur every day and with that in mind note that these often occur as we are packing, and moving the goods to the new premises.
Therefore we need insurance cover while we are on the road. Many insurance policies which we have for our vehicles, do NOT cover damage to our furniture, or loss if we are involved in any sort of accident. Therefore we need additional travel insurance.
Moving is costly, and with that thought start preparing for this as soon as possible. Go to your fruit and vegetable store and start collecting boxes. Or better yet, go to the major electrical stores which sell Plasma TV’s. Often they will have numerous extra large boxes which once stored their display goods and are no longer in use.

This will save you a heap of money to spend on other important things such deposits on phone installation and the electricity or gas. Some moving companies supply these free of cost. Now while we are on the subject of gas, electricity and so forth, make sure that these are all taken care of.
In other words don’t wait until you arrive at your new address and then realize you have no telephone, electricity, or gas connection. Remember to square up all bills from your previous address. Don’t do a runner, as you will be blacklisted everywhere and there goes your good credit history!
Remember to leave the house as you would wish to find your new one, clean! Don’t leave it filthy for the next tenant to have to clean. You would certainly be irate if that happened to you. Remember that the larger the load you have the more it may end up costing you to move.
Therefore weeks ahead begin to make a list of what you do need, and what you don’t. If something has been stored in the shed for more than two years, chances are you don’t really need it. Do you really need that futon that’s broken, the record player that you can’t get parts for etc?
Charity stores are everywhere and as the old adage states “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Donate any items of furniture, toy clothes etc that you no longer use or need. Someone will be extremely glad you did!

If it’s a house you are moving from, ensure that there is no debris lying about and that the entire yard is spotless. Particularly if you have only been leasing the place. You won’t get your bond back otherwise!

Book your self-drive van or removals van, at least two months ahead. Ensure that the van will be big enough for all your processions and that it will only need to make the one trip. At times if you only have very few processions, you can actually. “Back-load” a removals van. This means that your goods are packed with someone else’s if it’s all traveling in the same direction. Not a good move,(pardon the pun once again.) I lost a hand carved bed head and a water-bed. I did get compensated, yet that does not replace sentimental value.

Remember too that many hands make light work. If you intend to join a new church in the area, ring and introduce yourself to the minister, priest etc. Often they will organize some help for you on moving day. Thus you meet new people and also move into your house quicker. You basically kill two birds with one stone.

Don’t forget that moving can be quite traumatic for children and with that in mind, attempt to be a little more patient with your children. They may feel as if they shall never see their friends again. It will take some time for them to adjust. The sooner you have them involved in sports or an outdoor hobby, the quicker they shall settle in. Remember that the children will need transfers for their new schools as well as new uniforms.

Last but not least, if there was a swimming pool where you previously lived, ensure that the pool gates are locked. Make doubly sure that there is no way possible a small child could gain entrance.

Good luck, God bless and travel safely.

Moving overseas can be an experience of a life time and a fantastic opportunity to not only immerse into another culture but embrace the different lifestyle of that country. Undoubtedly, it is also daunting, where do you start, how do you go about it, is it the right thing to do? As a single mother of a three year old boy, moving from Australia to Malaysia was a big decision but one I have never regretted.

Fortunately for me, I had travelled and holidayed in Asia previously, therefore, I knew a little of what to expect. My work ensured some of my personal belongings would be shipped over and my larger furniture type items were to be put in storage. I planned on staying overseas for three years, so I had to be careful with what I did and did not take.

The way I recall it, my main concerns were:

1) Would my son be ok and what schooling was there available?
2) What if we didn’t like it over there?
3) How were my family and friends going to react?
4) What about tax, banking and voting?

The months leading up to your move will be stressful, however, a little research and networking goes a long way. Firstly, to put your mind at ease contact your employer or a colleague who is currently working over there and ask them all your questions. Keep your communications open, they probably had the same questions before they left and so will be happy to help. If it is an organisation that is use to employing people from other states/overseas then they will probably have an information document which they will send you. They will most likely appoint a family to be your host for the first month to ensure you settle in. If your future employer doesn’t have this, then the Internet will be your gateway to further research. Remember, Google is your friend!

Once you have had all your questions answered and comfortable with your decision to move, think about how your friends and family will react and be prepared for some anger, tears and joy. Anticipate their concerns and have answers ready for them. For me, it was all about my son, how could I do this to them and him, who would look after him, what if he forgets his family? Fortunately, I knew my family and I had all the answers albeit they still weren’t 100% convinced it was the right move.

We all handle things differently and obviously you will have your own way of dealing with friends and family. For me, I ensured my family got to see my son as often as possible prior to leaving. I had a final dinner with them two nights prior to leaving and a final celebration night the night before. My friends and family were all invited to see us off at the airport and there were certainly tears. Ensure you get lots of photos of friends and family just before you leave, this is especially important if you have young children. Remind family and friends that you are about to embark on an awesome opportunity and they are more then welcome to visit whenever they want. Communication is much easier in this day and age, so make use of it!

Contact your banks, accountant, and government regarding your long distance moving and get their advice as to what to do in regards to banking, tax and voting. This should be done at least a month prior to leaving. Make sure you redirect your mail to your new address or a family member. Make sure prior to your removal you make it clear to the removalists what you want packed and not packed, ensure you watch them as sometimes the piles get mixed up. For example on my return to Australia I discovered 3 year old cereal which had been packaged, not a good thing!

Most of all remind yourself and your loved ones how much this opportunity means to you and reassure them you are prepared for the change. Keep in contact with them regularly. If phone calls are too expensive then ring them regularly in the beginning and then start to leave it one extra day until you normally contact them. For example, if you have been ringing every Tuesday then ring them in 8 days time and after that 9 days time. This way they won’t expect a call each week or worry when you don’t ring on that same day each week.

If you are worried about getting home sick remember to take some treasured belongings and keep reminding yourself it will all be worth it. Lastly, enjoy the ride, it will be an opportunity of a lifetime.