Move, Move, Move by Jennifer Hussey

One of the joys of the medical life is that you’re guaranteed to never be in the same place for more than a few years! How you feel about that can be anything from utter dread to ecstatic excitement but the one thing that no one likes is the move itself. I have personally moved 12 times in the last 12 years (and that was before I married a military medical man) so I have gleaned some pointers that I’d like to share.

Step One: Figure out where you are going to live BEFORE you move there. I was able to visit my husband a couple times before we moved. We knew we didn’t want to buy a house before we lived in the community so we decided to rent for a year. We would have rented for six months, but that was not an option where we wanted to go. Ask other people in the program where they live, take a look through realtor magazines and check out the numerous relocating websites for information. If you’re military and know you won’t be living on post/base, you can get excellent information from the office that will be handling you move. Also, don’t forget to take in to consideration, especially if you’re starting residency, that you the spouse will unfortunately be the person with the primary responsibility for the home. It stinks, but it’s true. Don’t bite off more than you think you can handle. Don’t rent that 2500 square foot home, unless you know you will want to clean, decorate, do the laundry etc, in that 2500 square foot after a day at the office or a day with the kids. Get the list of utilities at that time, too- gas company, electric company, Water Company, Cable Company, etc.

Step Two: PURGE. Get rid of clothes that you haven’t worn in the last one to two years. If you’re still carting around the broken futon and papason chair from freshman year- let it go. If you can handle the idea of getting rid of the jewel cases from your cd collection, but the storage books- They save a ton of room. Broken dishes? Broken glasses? Toss them. Keep only what is in good shape because nothing will annoy you more than after unpacking the 150th box, you unwrap a chipped and broken dish. I promise you, your first thought will be “why did I keep this?” If you are moving from a cold area to a hot one, or vice versa- think through what you want to bring in the way of outer wear. We certainly do not need the numerous wool coats, jackets, flannel shirts, winter boots that we brought with us to San Antonio from DC. One would have been fine. If you have bikes and haven’t ridden them in the last year- give them to a kids shelter- I promise, if you’re starting residency, or are in fellowship- you will not have any time except one weekend per year. And it will rain.. And get those vacuum storage bags from Bed, Bath, and Beyond or the Container Store. They work and you will be able to store a lot more stuff than in those large plastic boxes.

Step Three: If you can afford it or is your move is paid for- hire a packer. Do not leave the packers alone with your stuff. I have heard about a fry-daddy being packed full of oil, and ashtrays moved full of cigarette butts, they will literally pack everything. If you can, offer to help and have your fragile or breakable stuff packed while you watch. Although it is tempting to do it yourself, most moving companies will not accept the liability of moving your pre-packed boxes, if you’re using a packer. They’ll move them but if something breaks, it’s on you. If not…packing takes twice as long as you think it will, you will run out of boxes and tape and no- liquor store boxes DO NOT last all that long. (unless you’re moving across the street). Pack your stuff every single time you have the opportunity. Mark the box where you want it to go- not where it’s coming from. For example, you have a lovely display of crystal somethings- pack them lovingly and then put mark the box “Crystal somethings” “Living Room” and then write in RED pen “Fragile” and draw arrows on every side of the box- trust me, it’s better this way. When you’re not packing, clean your appliances, both the ones that you will be moving and the ones that are staying- clean the oven, the refrigerator and wipe down everything else.

Step Three and a half- call your insurance company and ask them about insuring the stuff while it is on the truck. Some do and some don’t and you need to know if your renter’s insurance or homeowner’s insurance will cover the move. I have heard horror stories of fires on the trucks- stuff being thrown overboard during overseas move, and there was an entire group of military personnel’s vehicles that were burned when an engine exploded on a ship. If your insurance company won’t cover the move- change insurance companies and also check the moving company to make sure that they have insurance, too.

After that no doubt rewarding experience, contact the pediatrician and the vet for kids and pets transferable information. This is not the time to not have access to that information. Ask for full copies of the records and take them with you! Put them in an accordion file along with your car insurance information, your homeowner’s information and any other critical paperwork that you cannot move without. (Military people, include about 10 copies of your orders- you will need at least that many and trying to find a Kinko’s at the same time you’re unpacking is not fun at all.)

Call the utilities where you are going and make arrangements to have them turned on. (Military people, there are usually discounts available so that you don’t have to pay the deposits) Call the utilities where you are and have them turned off. Do not do this until you know FOR SURE when the mover’s are showing up. This is not the time to tempt fate.

Step Four: Pack a box for when you arrive- a few dishes, paper plates, a toaster, and enough clothes to get you through a week, a shower curtain liner, a few towels, cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper towels and toilet paper. DO NOT forget the toilet paper. If you are moving pets and children, you will also need to figure out what they will need both during the drive and once you arrive. I used a disposable brownie pan as a kitty litter box and took it with us into the hotel rooms at night. Helpful hint- Motel 6 accepts pets.

You should be preparing your kids for the new place- they can look stuff up at the library, you can send away for information and brochures from the Chamber of Commerce, etc. Also prepare them for the move itself- it may be a frightening experience for little ones to see the house empty. It will also be chaotic for the animals. Make sure the animals are locked away and consider sending the kids to a neighbors or family member’s home. You need to be paying attention to your stuff!

Step Five: on the morning of Move Day, go buy bottles of water, doughnuts or bagels for the movers, and make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes and clothes. Chances are you’re going to be wearing those same clothes and shoes for the next 12 to 18 hours. DO NOT micro-mange the movers- but do hang around if you can. They do know what they are doing, most of the time and they will not hurt your stuff, most of the time. Most of the time. Buy them lunch if it’s taking that long to load your belongings.

Step Six: Walk through the house one last time to make sure that everything is cleaned, turned off, and closets are really empty. Turn the faucets as tight as you can- no need to pay a water bill that you don’t have to!

Step Seven: Jump in the car and Go!

Step Eight: figure out what works for you. For example, Darla, my little kitty, howled for an hour the first morning in the car. We discovered that an hour of classical music helped her find her happy place for the rest of the day.

Step Nine: Unpack…repeat in a few years.

A checklist of things to take:

* Suitcase of clothes for the trip
* Pet carrying cases
* Water bowls and food dishes/ leashes and kitty pan
* Walkmans, games and toys for the kids. Consider getting a portable DVD player or other entertainment option.
* Your accordion file of pertinent information. DO NOT leave this in the hotel!!
* Your spouse, children, pets
* Your sense of humor.