Tag: packing

The Trip

The morning after the movers left was planned to be the loading of our two cars. My husband is much better at packing vehicles than I am, so I delegated that responsibility to him. Besides all the items which the movers could not take and the items we needed until they arrived, there had to be room in the cars for a driver and one of our dogs. You can imagine what a challenge this was for my husband. We do not have small cars, we have four-door sedans, but there still was a lot to fit in each of them.

Our plan had been to begin our journey by 8:00 am or 9:00 am at the latest. Yet, it became clear that even though we had awakened early, our time frame was not going to be met. The packing of the cars was a challenge which required some unpacking and repacking. This all was taking place in rain and light snow which added to the challenge. There also was clear evidence that we had more left in the house than we were going to be able to fit in the vehicles.

One of our family members and our neighbor came to help us out again. They began going through the cleaning supplies and food we had planned on taking with us. Some of it was thrown in the garbage, some was to be taken home with our neighbor, and some would go home with my husband’s brother. We would have to replace what we needed once we got to our new home. While my husband packed the cars and the other two sorted through items we could not take, I began cleaning what we had to leave until the last minute.

Around 11:00 am, we were ready to pull out on our journey to our new home. We said our final good-byes and loaded the dogs into the cars. Each dog would get one foot well in the back seat of the car. We had put their beds in each car respectfully but our largest dog, a black Labrador mix, had no room if the bed was in there, so we moved that one to the trunk of the car. We would be on the road for close to twelve hours.

As we started our trip, the snow had started coming down. For the next four hours it would snow off and on as we made our way. We made it out of Iowa and had entered Missouri when we decided to make our first stop. This stop was mainly to let the dogs get out for a stretch, but we also used it as an opportunity for a restroom break and to get something to drink. The snow had stopped but a cold wind from the north made standing outside with the dogs unpleasant. After taking care of the needs of all four of us, we were back on the road.

Our trip consisted of driving on interstate almost the whole distance. We made stops for the dogs, to get gas and/or to grab some food. We made it through Kansas City without much hassle. Our journey down Kansas’ tollway was uneventful. There was just one time we had an issue convincing our oldest dog to get back into the vehicle. He seemed done with traveling and having bad back hips did not want to climb back in the car. Eleven hours later, we were coming into the metroplex which would be our new home.

After traveling almost 900 miles and going through five states, we arrived safely but weary at our new home. We pulled the cars into the garage, only to realize it was a tight fit. We let the dogs out and into the house so they could explore a little. Next the dogs went outside into the fenced-in back yard to take care of needs and get the layout of their new yard. While they were outside, we started to unpack the necessary items from the cars.

Once the dogs and the needed items were in the house, we put air in the mattress, added the bedding and laid down for our first night of sleep in our new sparsely furnished home.

Moving Day

The day was Thursday, December 27 which meant that moving day had arrived. That phrase carries with it both joy and fear. The joy comes from the reality that we were embarking upon a new adventure. We would have a new home, in a new city, and new opportunities. The fear results from the realization that we were clearly not ready for the movers to arrive. There were rooms which still had a lot of unpacked items. Some drawers and cupboards had been overlooked. How would we ever manage to make this happen?

Much to our great fortune, some of our family came over to help us. They had been there the day before and helped with a lot of the items. Now they returned and made some of those decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of that neither of us wanted to make. The movers arrived and were even a bit early. The house became busy with activity while we tried to corral our two dogs in one room and out of the way of the movers. Everyone continued packing as furniture, boxes, and totes were being labeled and taken out to the truck. On top of this, it had decided to rain a little.

The next seven hours were filled with activity. Every time we thought we were making head way, one of the movers would come and ask us what to do about something they had found. Numerous trips to get more boxes, take some unneeded boxes back, and pick up more packing tape also filled our time. Getting out of the house to run an errand was actually a blessing. There were times that I ended up questioning if I wanted to return to the house or not.

Now, the movers had the truck loaded. My husband spent fifteen minutes signing the paperwork indicating what all had been loaded in the truck. There is something strange about realizing that all your worldly possessions are in the hands of a man and a truck. You will not see them again until whenever the truck arrives in your new location. A little fear enters your mind about if the man and the truck will actually arrive or not.

Even though the movers had left, we were far from being finished for the day. There was still more than enough to finish packing. Certain items a moving company cannot take in the truck. Included among those items are houseplants, alcohol, chemicals, valuables, and perishables. We also knew that it would be at least three days before the truck would arrive and a new crew would unload us. This meant that we had to take enough clothing, bedding, and other necessities for us to live in an empty house until the truck arrived. We also had to begin the cleaning process. For the next five hours, we packed and cleaned.

Around 11:00 pm, we decided that we had to get some sleep. My husband filled the air mattress with air, and we put the sheets we had held out on the mattress. We finally laid down, sore and tired since we only had four hours of sleep the previous night. This would be our final night in this house.

Preparing for the Move

In my last post, I shared with you what led up to my recent move to Texas. In this post, I will share with you what it took to prepare for that move of 844 miles.

We found out that we were making the move in the middle of November. My husband negotiated and accepted the position. His start date would be January 2. This meant that we would have to make our move between Christmas and New Year’s Day. If you are quick at doing the math, you have determined that we had approximately six weeks to pack a four bedroom home with a garage, a garden shed, and an offsite storage unit. We also had to find a moving company that was in our price range. In the midst of that, we had to list the house and celebrate the holidays. Both of us needed to continue to work in our current jobs as well. Can you say STRESS?

The race is on. We started to get boxes, mainly from my earlier move. My husband began sorting through pictures and memorabilia which he had received from his parents after their death. I started going through boxes of papers which needed to be shredded, thrown away, or saved. Our goal was to reduce the amount items we would be taking with us to Texas.

We identified a realtor to list our house and the week after Thanksgiving our house officially went on the market. Next, we secured a moving company and set the official moving date as December 27. Our focus then turned to packing boxes. I became well acquainted with the local UHaul store as I made frequent trips to buy a variety of boxes. Astonishing how many possessions you can accumulate over the years. The moving process does have one bright side with regard to packing, you discover items that you forgot you even had.

The week of the move arrived and chaos ensued. Christmas in the midst of that week. Family came to visit. We realized that time was short, and we had a lot of packing left to do. We rented a truck the weekend before the move, so we could bring all the items from the storage unit to the house. Sorting continued along with the packing. We took one break which was the day of Christmas when for a couple of hours we enjoyed an excellent meal and the exchanging of gifts.

With Christmas over, the final crunch time was upon us. The day after Christmas, all the decorations came down and were packed away. This was also the last day of work for my husband. We had less than 24 hours before the moving company would arrive and at least three days of packing ahead of us. Sleep would have to be the one thing which would need to be in short supply. This would also mean that our patience would be limited at best.

Stay tuned, my next post will share details of “moving day.”