One year ago our family moved to a new part of the country. Over the years my husband and I have moved six times. During our seminary years we helped other families pack, clean and move in and out of homes and apartments. Moving is never easy but the more prepared you are the easier it is on you, your family, your pets and your friends.
The news of moving was usually met with mixed emotions for our children. The excitement of a new place to live, the expectation of meeting new people and seeing new places always mixed with the reality of saying good-bye. As a family we were sensitive to each other's feelings and did a lot of discussing around the dinner table. We made sure to plan time to visit some of our favorite places and pack a souvenir or two for our new place. We gathered with friends and made the most of the time we had left together.
I remind myself when the packing process is in full swing that the home is going to look like organized chaos. If I am doing the packing myself I give myself at least a month to pack a house well. It becomes a part time job for me. I like to go room to room and sort through whatever can be trashed, recycled, donated, or sold. My best method is to "pack to unpack." This way we are bringing what we really will use and it is packed in an organized way ready to be put away in our new place. If I use my time well on the packing end the unpacking usually is done in less than two weeks.
I use extra dish towels, wash cloths, towels, beach towels, and blankets when packing fragile items. We use plain paper rather than newspaper to keep ink off of our items. Bubble wrap is a fun to have in the house while packing. It is a challenge for us not to pop it ahead of time. The children look forward to playing with it while unpacking.
I like to start with any areas of storage such as our garage so that we can continue to add items there especially if we are in the process of staging and showing our home. Starting with all items that are not needed in the next month and working your way down to the essentials works best. I make a list on my fridge of each room and any areas that need to be packed and work on a part of the list each day. I keep a container of packing tape rolls, dispensers, sharpie markers, memo pad, and scissors with me as I work. We switch our meals to paper goods once the kitchen is packed. We keep one set of dishes and utensils and a pot or two to use at our new place right away.
There will be moments the change may hit you emotionally. Take the time to cry, to talk it out with a loved one and pray for strength and guidance as you take one day at a time. The Lord is not wringing His hands and will guide you to your new place.
Children can be a help during the moving process. If you have grade school children or older they will do better with the move if given tasks that can help the family. One of our children researched with their siblings all the points of interest at our new place. The kids were helpful with touching up paint, wiping down baseboards, cleaning up flower beds, sweeping, vacuuming, and assembling boxes to name a few jobs. We made sure there were times to rest and play to help pace ourselves.
By the time the truck was ready to be loaded everything was ready to go. The only items left to pack were what we would be driving ourselves. We were able to do a final cleaning and have a "clean out the fridge meal" together.
Seeing all the boxes that need to be unpacked on the other end can feel a bit weary at first but if you pack well you will find that the process will move along. Even after sorting through and giving items away beforehand I still end up laughing at some point and asking myself, "Now why did we bring this?"
It takes time to settle into a new place. For us, it usually takes a year to feel completely at home. Hosting people in our new place helps. Holidays and our traditions throughout the year adds memories to our home. We encourage each other to be thankful for what we have together.
If the Lord is calling you to a new place look to Him for the strength and wisdom you need. Friendships, old and new, always pick up where you leave off. If you are doing the packing yourself be sure to give yourself plenty of time and supplies. You will be glad you paced yourself over the weeks and you will fill your new place with what you really want. Our moves have never been easy but they have been a memorable time for us as a family.
