Sunday, June 12, 2011

Tips on moving





























Moving can be a real pain in the butt. It's exciting as hell to hit the road for a new home clear across the U.S. (George and I are moving to Montana), but the actual packing up part is quite a bit less fun. The last time we moved (from Ohio to Texas, where we are now) we only brought what could fit in our little car. The little car was not happy about this. We filled every tiny space available inside, as well as four bikes and a large suitcase on it's roof. Luckily Texas was all downhill and we didn't hear the muffler scrape against the road too many times. But that was before we had furniture. That and the other things which come with not being college students anymore.

From packing we come to realize that owning things is nice, but that schlepping those same beloved things around, is not. Here are a few tips which might help you the next time you're trying to stuff all your earthly possessions into a smaller space;

  • Instead of wasting newspaper to protect your breakables, use your clothes. Better for the environment AND less clothes to pack later. 
  • Use your move as an opportunity to slim down on your earthly possessions. Go through all your junk and toss the unwanted instead dragging it along.
  • Never, ever underestimate your pile of stuff. George and I do this again and again, thinking that our boxes and bags will definitely fit, only to realize that a terrible optical illusion was at work.
  • Many of your belongings have holes and cavities - those holes are opportunities waiting to be filled with more stuff!

So wish us luck! It's a 33 hour drive almost all the way to the Canadian border. We're going to try and do it in three days so that I can get back to work as soon as possible. A little house is waiting for us in a small town called Columbia Falls. The real estate agent promises that mountains can be seen from all of our windows. If so, it should be a happy relocation.


Illustrations created with my trusty micron pen (and a bit of Illustrator)

3 comments:

  1. I shall be using these tips soon myself! Thanks for sharing. :)

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  2. I love the opportunity to weed out my excess stuff each and every time I move. good tips! and good luck getting settled :)

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  3. After going through the ordeal of moving, I have to say this; wrapping your breakables in clothes is not a good idea... Finding clothes once we arrived was tricky! I had to pack away the entire kitchen before having anything to wear. Thanks for your support either way! :)

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