MOVE Day

 MOVING DAY. It's on the calendar in big chunky words scrawled across the whole day, maybe a few days. Is yours in big red capital letters like mine, or did you get fancy and use nine different colors to catch every passerby's eye? Why do we do this? Do we think someone's going to forget what day we are moving or the fact that we are actually moving??

Based on my experience, moving day is rarely smooth and easy. No. It is a literal MOVE day. Move out of the way. Move that over there. Move the kids. Move the pets. Move. Move. Move. Short, concise, and sharp-just like the voices yelling at you to do so. The day encompasses a blend of emotions, ranging from eagerness to apprehension, determination to exasperation. Whether you're relocating on your own or with the assistance of a moving company, the process can be challenging. As this is currently relevant to many of my friends and family members, who are somewhere in the stages of moving, perhaps I can share some insight I have gathered or at the very least, ease your mind a little with a chuckle.

The most important thing to start doing immediately:

Scour through the internet to find everyone's most recent advice on moving. Here are some of my better finds:

• Organize a moving binder. You can find several different kinds for many different kinds of families. I tend to pick sections out of several to meet all my family's needs. This is a lifesaver. Begin it in the months leading up to your move and you will be very thankful later. Instead of five or six last-minute hurdles, you might have only 1 or 2!

• Money. You will never have enough, but you absolutely need to save as much as you can. Whether it is moving just down the street or across an ocean, unexpected expenses always come up. In our most recent move, I had to stay in a hotel room with man guy, 4 kids, and a grumpy cat for an extra 11 days. Those days were not cheap and we felt it for the rest of that month.

• Use ALL your resources. And I mean all of them. People offering to babysit, cook meals, patch walls, whatever. If you happen to know someone at the DMV who could assist you in preparing your vehicle for deregistration or reregistration, you could ask them for guidance by saying, "Excuse me, do you happen to know the process for handling this?" The worse thing they say is "No". Maybe you need some extra hands to load stuff. Ask. Need an extra truck. Ask. It's important to remember that every person has the right to decline your request. But most people leave the "I'm moving" conversation with "Let me know if you need anything". So... do so!

• Wrap the silverware in the tray! Wrap anything that comes with pieces-Legos, jewelry boxes, hardware for big furniture.

• Take apart all your big furniture that movers would take apart. My philosophy here is the same here as it is for driving-assume everyone else is an idiot.

Moving sucks. Even if you are totally excited to get to your next location or adventure, the act of moving itself sucks. It is crucial to keep in mind that despite feeling lost and isolated while attempting to navigate through this big life change, you are not truly alone. You might lose your patience. You will probably either yell at people in your head or aloud. Maybe you will throw something or just your hands up in frustration. Do your best not to send anyone to the ER. You do NOT have time for that. 

What is one awful thing that happened on your last move? What is one thing you are proud of from your last move?