How Do You Move a New Family?

That is the question I've asked myself a lot this year, especially in regards to moving across several states. I knew it involved packing and cleaning but what else was there? I want to share a few of my insights from our previous and current move. Hopefully this will be helpful to you or someone you know.

Step 1: Figure out where you're going to live

It's hard to pack and plan for a move if you don't know the kind of space you're moving to. When we first moved to Georgia, I hadn't seen the size of our apartment or the types of storage that would be available. Because there wasn't really any storage area, half of our stuff remained in boxes. Now we're going to be moving into my in-laws' house so most of our stuff will be in storage (because they already have a fully functioning house with all the appliances, furniture and dishes a home needs).

Step 2: Organize and pack your stuff

This is why my husband ends up doing a lot of the packing. I have a very well camouflaged system that looks a lot like chaos and I'm pretty sure it drives him crazy. I have found, however, there really isn't one right way to pack and organize. Do whatever makes sense to you. After all, you're the one that has to unpack and reorganize once you reach your destination. Because most of our things are going into storage, we're trying really hard to organize based off of what we'll need for every day living and what can just be in storage for the time being.

Step 3: Breathe!

If you're anything like me, you'll need this to happen probably multiple times during the whole process. Take time to read a book, do your nails, wash your face or watch a quick episode of something on Netflix before diving into the next row of boxes. These don't have to be super long breaks, but breaks will help you feel more productive when you need to be. 

Step 4: Load the truck

Or pod, in our case. If you haven't heard of ABF's U-Pack program, you should really look into it. In a nutshell, you fill a ReloCube with your boxes and things and they drive it to your destination. You have the option of having the cube delivered to your door or you can go pick up your things from their loading/unloading site. Each cube is about 70"x 82"x 93" (DWH). You can reserve as many cubes as you want. The best part about this for us was the price. As my husband has just graduated and finished his internship and my part-time job doesn't really provide the income to cover cross-country moving expenses, we needed a very inexpensive option. 

Step 5: Get to your destination and unload

Now comes the part where you take all that hard work and undo it all! Unpack, put things away, settle in. I don't have many words on this step because I kind of just do it. 

There you go! How to move a new family in 5 simple steps. Now obviously it isn't complicated, but it does take some work to get it all done. Just remember to keep breathing and life will be great! One final piece of advice, if you're pregnant, moving is going to be harder. Just smile and call a neighbor or two to help.

The Hardest Part is Starting...

When I was in elementary school (somewhere around 1st or 3rd grade I believe), I had the opportunity to write and illustrate a book. While I decided then I would never be an illustrator, I did learn that I liked writing the story. So here I am, writing my story.

My mom told me that I should write a blog, you know, to relieve stress, share my experiences with this crazy changing part of life I'm in. My husband and I have been married for 1 year and 4 months. During that time we have lived in 3 apartments, accumulated more debt than I've ever seen in my life, and done at least one move across the country. I am now 18 weeks pregnant with our first child and we're about to move in with my in-laws while we get our own place to settle down, which means another cross-country move.

Fortunately, this next move will be a direct result of my husband finally getting his first full-time entry level position, complete with health and retirement benefits and the all-elusive experience! My intent in writing this blog is to share my experiences and coping methods for stress and anxiety as there is about to be a brand-new set of it in my life. I hope my experiences will help someone see how to cope with seemingly insurmountable challenges in life.