Moving

Would you believe me if I tell you that I have moved more than 23 times... atypical, but true. Although most of my moves were voluntary, I understand the feelings they generate. I have felt firsthand the discomfort, been overwhelmed, and inspired. I have felt hope, concern, encouragement, and discouragement. I have felt all the emotions that these moments in life can generate. Just like nothing in life is static, neither is moving to a new home, it’s changing your whole life.

When you change your environment, your mood, your mornings, your days and your nights change too. Your commute, the routine, the neighbors, the neighborhood, the amenities, the smells, in short, a new set of experiences is generated with little time to rest. The body adapts to a new climate, and the family to a new way of living.

There are a few things we can do to have a less torturous and simpler moving experience such as:

1- See it as something positive- attitude changes everything, the way you think about something makes you enjoy it or it can torture you.

2- Cleaning – giving away things you won’t take to your new home in order to reorganize your life can be beneficial for you and people in need. It’s also a good ritual to begin your life in your new home ensuring it’s clean and freshly painted.

3- The time factor- Start packing with enough time and without hassle by starting with the things that you use the least, such as that closet that you never open. Once you get to the things you use the most, it will be easier, and you will find yourself further along in the process.

4- Moving loves company - Do it as a family or call up some friends to help- use this stage to interact and share the experience, even if it is not always pleasant. It will be a better experience than doing it alone, and it may lead to creating stronger ties with those in your life.

5- Buy boxes and label them- You can have a legend with numbers and colors to identify them or simply write what it contains. You can also take photos before packing to remember what's inside.

6- Hire a moving company - Hire the moving company early and at the right time in the process - when you have a somewhat clear estimate of the number of boxes and pieces of furniture and other large ticket items you are taking. It is important that you get insurance in case something is damaged.

7- Moving regulations - Know the rules of your community or condominium. Usually there are specific times and days and sometimes there are bonds to pay and authorizations to obtain.

8- Materials- Buy the materials you’ll need before you start packing. The fragile items should be taken care of calmly with have enough materials on hand to pack them. Do not wait to start packing to buy the materials because many times you will end up packing improperly, in a rush or haphazardly; I speak from experience. Suitable materials are - cardboard boxes, masking tape, bubble wrap, markers, bags, etc.

9- Expensive objects or objects of great sentimental value - Objects of greater value, whether emotional or monetary should be identified, packed, and stored separately before the moving company arrives and if possible, separated from the rest of the move so you can take it yourself.

When moving, doing it properly can make it a good experience for you and your new destination, the most important factor in giving yourself the right amount of time.

Enjoy it, remember it’s the beginning of your new lifestyle!