Moving Wisdom

With another move quickly approaching, I thought I'd share some of the wisdom I've learned over the years. After all, I have moved once a year, sometimes twice a year, for the past seven years.

1. Always help your friends. You will need their help. Especially when it involves lugging a washing machine down 3 flights of stairs.
2. Always label. And label well. You will forget where you put that oven mit.
3. Always keep up with your laundry and dishes in the weeks before a move. Trust me, you don't want to pack up dirty clothes. There's a chance you'll forget which tub they're in (see #2).
4. Never ignore the weight of a box. It may be small but it can weigh upwards of 40 pounds... if you pack it full of books or dishes.
5. Always utilize towels and blankets to wrap breakables. This way you're filling precious box space with things that need to be moved, not things like packing peanuts that you'll just throw out when you get to the new place.
6. Always wait until after you move to purchase new things for your new home.
7. Never underestimate how much junk you have. It multiplies as you pack. Trust me.
8. Always be prepared - with a hand truck and a utility dolly, no matter how much it costs to rent them. It's worth it.
9. Always start the purge early. If you forgot you had it, you don't need to move it.
10. Always have a game plan. Know how you're going to pack the truck and do not deviate from the plan, no matter how much advice you get. This will make things move quicker, something that will please everyone.
11. Pack an overnight bag with a change of clothes, your toothbrush, toothpaste and soap. Put it in your car - this part is key.
12. Dust off that air mattress - After moving everything you own, you are not gonna feel like setting up your bed.

Remembering all this is tough, I'll admit. For past 3 years, our moves have looked a little more like this: