Moving Recap

In between heat & humidity, rain showers & traffic jams the big move monopolized this past weekend.  No one got injured; nothing else broke.  Thanks to incredible helpers the U-Haul was loaded in about 45 minutes.  Then everyone rested for about a 1/2 hour in a traffic jam due to highway resurfacing shutting down 2 of 3 travel lanes. 

Sherbet finally tires of the moving process.

The truck unloaded in record time, too, because I barely had time to stick color-coded labels on walls, comfort Sherbet who meow-bellowed from her exile in the new bathroom, and set out lunch—an assortment of sandwich/wrap fixings, fresh fruit and veggies, and a homemade almond cake.  (My rationale: since I couldn’t really carry boxes myself this move, I sought to heartily replenish any calories expended by the friends and family helping us.)

As the move progressed, I thought of a few more moving tips:

1. Set aside a Last/First Box for frequently used rooms.  A designated place for items you need up until the last minute and want to be able to locate immediately upon unpacking.  For instance, the bathroom box had toilet paper, soap, hand towels, etc.  In addition to the bathroom box, we set aside Last/First Boxes for the kitchen and bedroom.
2. Disassemble all furniture the day before loading the truck.  We left the bed frame until the morning, which didn’t hold the move up, but did cause congestion as helpers emptied the bedroom of other items.
3. For a local move with helpers journeying from the old location to the new, print basic driving directions.  Not everyone has a GPS.
4. For a local move with a little time flexibility, move awkward-to-pack items ahead.  Husband, my father, and I ran a few loads up to the new apartment the day before to avoid fitting lamps, bikes, larger pieces of art, plants, etc. in boxes or on the moving truck.  Since we were able, we also transported dresser and desk drawers—no packing required, just slid them back into the furniture once it arrived later.

Now, all that remains to be done is to hang pictures and rearrange as needed.  All boxes are unpacked and tucked into storage for next time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to our friends and family!