As a play on words, I thought The Joy of Moving could assist in telling my most recent adventure. Yes, over the Thanksgiving weekend, I, Ms Traveling Pants, moved. For those of you adverse to cooking the mighty meal, I might add that my living situation in flux was certainly a good excuse to get out of cooking the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuits, pies, and the like. However, with that said and over a week having passed, I still feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck with numerous bruises and aching muscles remaining.

It had been over 5 years since my last move, so, I had forgotten what an experience moving is.  The word experience is a very diplomatic way to express the unpleasantries involved in moving. If you have ever needed to move a 5 piece bedroom set from the 2nd story of a home or perhaps moved into or out of an apartment without an elevator, you know exactly what I mean.  No matter how close you are to your family, friends, or lovers, moving is one of those occurrences in life that tests the bonds, especially when trying to get that refrigerator through the front door or securing the mattress to the top of the car.  Coincidentally, a wise friend of mine, Carolyn, told me earlier this year that the three worse things in life are:

1) Death (of a loved one)

2) Divorce

3) Moving

At the time, I thought it was being rather general and simplistic, but now having experienced some of the above, I would have to agree. Since spending my holiday break amongst cardboard boxes, newspapers, tape, twine, and movers with questionable personal hygiene, I have to say moving is not a joy, but in general a MESS.

Now, do not read into this post that I’m not happy to have sold my first house and to move out, but I have realized that the longer that I stay in one place the more stuff I accumulate. Although I have many nicknames, I have to say that Pack Rat must be close to the top of the list. There was a time when I could move across country or to another country with 2 duffel bags and perhaps a large backpack. Now, it is certainly NOT the case.

Pictured to the left is the size of truck that is now needed to move me. Over the course of a decade since my last 2 duffel bag and backpack move, I have now progressed to needing professional help (NO, not psychological help, but physical assistance). Ironically, the team I hired to do the heavy lifting was called El Cheapo Movers.

During the packing process, I downsized by becoming a Craigslist expert. Over the course of 5 business days, my cellphone exploded with calls followed by numerous couples, families, and individuals parading through my home beautifully decorated with crates, boxes, suitcases, and bubblewrap. However peddling my possessions online proved to be a success, as I sold many, including a bedroom set, 2 sofas, gas grill, patio set, lawnmower, generator, and more.

What I could not sell before the arrival of the El Cheapo Team, I called and donated to Salvation Army (see Salvation Army truck below).

Despite my reduction in items through selling and donating, this pack rat still had numerous essentials (over 80 boxes plus remaining furniture), which were all moved to a 10 by 15 storage facility shown at the beginning of this post.

As for my current situation:

I’m  limited to my computer and clothing, which has been strategically piled into every suitcase I own. I guess I have to say I’m in a state of “glorified camping.” I started at the old place and packed everything away. By the end, I was eating off of paper plates and drinking wine out of plastic cups.  Now, I’m in my new place where I cannot find where my underwear or socks are AND I’m still eating off of paper plates and drinking wine out of plastic cups. Needless to say, I have not yet had enough time to get settled into my temporary home, but it is a good thing that I am a well traveled individual and able to live out of suitcases for months going on years.

So, as I always say, every occasion in life can either be a good time or a good story. I feel that this move has been certainly a good story with subsequent chapters to follow featuring my vagabond, living out of suitcases lifestyle.

In closing, I would like to THANK those that have helped along the way.

Salud from me to you!!! (Of course still out of a plastic cup….as my glassware is somewhere behind the couches and snuggled between the college books and the old CD music collection)

0 Responses

  1. Your friend Carolyn is so right! Wow how did you accumulate all those stuff? Moving is a different kind of adventure… Hope all is well with you. Enjoy the moment. It’s temporary. Make the most out of it.