Moving On
I
have moved twenty-six times in forty years.
I am not in the military or running from the law, I just can’t be in the
same location for too long. I get antsy.
I don’t know how people can put down roots and live in the same place for
decades on end. I guess I get bored
easily, even of my surroundings, seeing the same people, same houses day in and
day out. I have been to several homes of
friends over the years and when you walk in it looks like a dorm room or that
they just moved in, shocking myself to find out they have been there for
years. If you are renting and aren’t allowed
to alter the walls or rental in any way, you can still make it look lived in
instead of temporary housing with simple furniture arrangement, potted plants,
area rugs, and the list goes on.
My
last big move involved packing up a 1-bedroom townhome, a little over
one-thousand square feet, in three days.
From packing to moving everything myself (with the help of family, no
moving companies), driving back and forth once a day, an hour each way and
unpacking, all in three days. I
discovered that I have become a pro at knowing the ins-and-outs of moving.
First,
start with sturdy boxes. Did you know
that you can get free boxes from Starbucks and bookstores (Barnes & Noble
in particular)? Those boxes work the
best because they are thick and durable (after all they have to hold coffee
beans and books). Second, pack per room
type and label the boxes accordingly.
For example, everything that you have in your living room will go into
boxes labeled “Living Room” and so on.
This way, the packing goes faster and everything will easily be right
where you need them at the new place.
Third and maybe the most important one - don’t overpack. Keep picking up the boxes as you are putting
your belongings in them. If the box is
getting too heavy then stop what you are doing and put some packing filler like
newspaper or paper grocery bags in them, to fill the empty space. Then tape up the box, label it and you’re
done!
