Relocation guide: A guide to moving

Your boss has just informed you that there’s a great opportunity for you in the company, with a big promotion. The only hitch is that it’s in New Mexico and you happen to be living in Oregon! Or, different scenario, you’ve been accepted to a graduate school in another city. Or, you just lost your job and decide to try your luck elsewhere. Or, your significant other/spouse is being transferred to another locale. There are so many details to get from here to there...and where to begin! And, starting over in a new town, where perhaps you won’t have the same support system of friends, family, and colleagues, is going to elevate the stress level in your life. How can you stay reasonably sane during this process?

#1 Plan, Plan, Plan!

#2 Tell Everyone and Ask for Help!

Unless you’re on the lam, you should make it a point to let everyone you know that you’re moving. This will help you to complete all those tasks you identified. Tell friends, co-workers, people at your church, school, gym, relatives, the mailman, the guys at your bowling league. Look around you, especially at your job if this is a job-related relocation. For example, if your company is asking you to relocate, they may have personnel in their Human Resources Department whose job responsibilities include employee relocation. Many larger companies relocate their employees and may identify a moving company, and even coordinate that part of your relocation.

In talking with friends, colleagues, and family, you may find that they are willing to assist you in your relocation. They may have friends in the area you are moving to who can be resources for you before you arrive. Or people may have suggestions that can help you enormously when you move. One of the ideas I got from a friend was to invest in a bunch of large plastic boxes. They are cheap, water-proof, and practically indestructible, and I had no compunction about writing the contents in permanent marker right onto the box itself. When I arrived, they went

neatly into storage for a month (they’re stackable) and when I was in my new home, I was able to find what I needed without difficulty.

#3 Reduce Your Inventory!

Most of us have way too many things, and moving is the perfect time to clean out our closets, or in this case, our homes. I suggest each family member list what they absolutely cannot part with, things they probably could live without, things that they could easily replace, and things that they really have no use for. The old Yankee adage applies here: Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without, with the emphasis on “do without”. Really, clear out as much stuff as you can. Think of it as a challenge. This can actually be fun! I mean, do you really need two complete sets of dishes? How about all those shoes you have, all 30 pairs, including the twenty-six pairs you haven’t worn more than once a year.

Inventory all your belongings: kitchenware, record/CD collections, sports equipment(heave-ho to those exercise bikes that get used once a year, usually after the holidays!), books, your kids’ toys, appliances (how many TVs DO you have?), tools, artwork, you name it. Then have a giant yard sale! My Dad used say, pack light but carry a heavy wallet. This is your chance! The cash in your pocket will help ease any feelings of loss as someone carts away that croquet set. And remember, America is the land of opportunity - as in, you will always have the opportunity to buy another one, newer and better than the old!

#4 Visit Before You Move!

If at all possible, try to visit your new town before you move. This will acclimate you so you won’t feel totally lost and alone. And get a recommendation for a good real estate professional. Realtors know their towns - school districts, desirable neighborhoods, the history of the town, where to shop, where to get a decent cup of coffee, and they want your money! So they tend to be very helpful in order to get it. And while you’re at it, buy a good street map of your new hometown.

#5 Don’t Worry, Be Happy

My grandmother always used to say to me, “Be as happy as you can, it’s not a sin”. Yes, this is going to be a stressful time and there will be moments when you will ask yourself if it’s worth it, or why you ever agreed to take this new job in the first place. But life is all about change, and as far as I’ve been able to tell, change is the only constant in life. And worrying, it really doesn’t solve anything. Thinking is another matter. The difference is that when you worry, you get stuck on one aspect of the situation, and repeat the same negative thoughts until you convince yourself that they and they alone, are true. When you think about something, you examine the pros and cons. You list choices, you explore options, you imagine other ways to solve problems. When you think, your mind is open to new ideas, but when you worry, your mind just gets on the merry-go-round of misery and stays there.

So what does being happy have to do with this? Well, happy is the opposite of worry. Happy is accepting and worry is rejecting. Being happy means that you can deal with the situation as it presents, it won’t ruin your day, and you can surmount it without becoming an ax-murderer (or murderess). Is this what you want in your memory bank? You ripping apart boxes looking for the TV remote control so you can watch the game, or going to the local pub/pizza parlor to watch the game? So relax and enjoy yourself and others will feel relaxed too.

#6 Don’t Neglect Yourself!

Last but not least, mother’s advice: eat good food, drink plenty of water, get (more than) enough sleep, and make sure you’re comfortably dressed. Nothing will put you in bad mood quicker than too tight pants or shoes. You’re starting out on a new phase of your life and you owe it to yourself to feel as good as possible. Feeling well physically keeps your immune system geared up and your brain will function better too; stress will be less draining.

#7 Change Your Address at the Post Office!

Unless you’re on the lam!