Last month I downsized, moving out of the home in which I
had lived and raised my family for twenty years. It was time to make the move for a multitude
of reasons. I was warned by several people that I would miss the house, but
surprisingly I haven’t found that to be the case.
Yes, I miss
the house but the house I miss is the house of a decade ago before Rick became
ill. The house where we threw great barbeques and parties with music
filtering outside to the pool. The house neighborhood kids drifted in and out of. The house
where we had huge, memorable New Years Eve parties. While it is true that house
no longer exists for me, my memories are with me forever.
The move
was as horrific as everyone said it would be. After months of sifting through
the garage, donating, tossing, packing, we were still left with way too much ‘stuff’.
I’m not speaking of furniture. That was manageable. It’s the stuff we hold on
to through the years: The kids’ artwork, the old greeting cards, the toys (yes,
I still had plenty of my grown children’s toys), the memorabilia, the files,
etc. So I gave away, donated, and tossed more.
Finally the
weekend of the move arrived along with temperatures ranging from 101 – 106. I’m not at my finest hour in hot weather and
moving just exacerbated the situation.
Between the movers and some very, very helpful friends and family, the
move was completed.
As I stared
at cartons reaching to the ceiling, I decided that some ‘stuff’ would remain in
boxes, stored in closets. If and when I move again, I’ll have a head start.
Here are a
few tips for those contemplating a big move:
. Buy lots and lots of tape and boxes…more than you think
you’ll need.
. Start getting rid of things early on – garage sales,
donations (if you know any young people starting out they’ll be grateful for
many of your discards).
. Very important. Pack a separate bag as if you’re going on
an overnight trip. In it, place the immediate essentials (ie. appt. book, phone
charger, remote controls, make-up, medicine, etc.) You think you’ll remember
where you packed things. Trust me, you
won’t.
. Don’t only label the boxes by room; list the content or as
much of it as you can.
. Register your change of address with the post office as
soon as possible and make any other changes, closing down utility accounts,
etc.
. Bring over breakables yourself as much as you are able to
(this includes lamps, mirrors, knick-knacks).
. Feed your movers. (And supply lots of bottled water).
. Don’t try to tackle everything at once when you first move
in. It will take a few weeks to settle in.
Thanks for joining me on Rhodes Less Traveled, Vivian
