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A Moving Experience
How to Make Your Next Move More Organized
By Helen Long
No matter how you look at it, moving is no fun! Getting a new assignment, starting a new job, learning about another culture, the prospects of making new friends….that's fun. However, our lifestyle dictates that we relocate every few years and we must face the unavoidable: the move, the dreaded move!
When I made my first move with the State Department from North Carolina, I carefully sorted and sifted through every item in my small apartment, mindful of what I would like to have with me on my first posting, Pretoria, South Africa. I sought advice from a friend who had many moves under her belt after 20 years with State. We spent one weekend arranging and sorting things to pack.
After settling in South Africa, I explained to a friend set to depart for his next posting how carefully I had planned and calculated my move. He smiled and casually mentioned that he handles his moves in a slightly different manner. On the morning of his packout, he lets the movers into his house and leaves for work at the Embassy. The movers pack everything, including unceremoniously dumping the contents of all drawers and closets into boxes. They close and tape the boxes and cart everything off in their truck. He never sorts or prepacks anything. When his goods arrive at their destination, he unpacks and puts things away (and sometimes sorts a little in the process).
Clearly, a system that works for one person doesn't always work for another! Why should you be a little more systematic about your moves than my friend was? Because once you arrive at your new destination, you will want to put your hands on what you need in order to settle in quickly.
When you plan your move, you need to consider organizing at both the old and new address. Despite careful planning, there is always much confusion and chaos before, during, and after a move. You will experience the emotional burden of leaving a familiar place, you may have logistical concerns (perhaps school decisions), there will be a multitude of important documents to ready, and your new destination is sure to present a multitude of challenges in the first weeks of arrival.
I suggest a few things to clients who are facing a move. You may already do some or all of these things, or perhaps you don't know where to start. Let's break down a move into two parts: first, the prepack at the "old" place and, second, the unpack at the "new" location.
PREPACK:
- Designate different areas in your home for various parts of your shipment. You may need to devote an entire room for "consumables," for example, if you are going to a post where you have to take a two-year supply of paper and canned goods. Tape a large piece of paper to the door and label it in bold, dark lettering so that family members can add to that category and movers will know what the room contains and not mix it in with, say, HHE.
- Airfreight is essential to your survival. It can make or break your first month at the new location. Make sure you include enough items to make your existence comfortable and entertaining. Put everything pertaining to airfreight together and designate it with a big, bold sign. Keep a listing of all the things in your airfreight, and refer to it each time you move. You'll be surprised how it changes over the years.
- Pack your suitcases BEFORE the movers come! Our DCM's wife in Kampala left the dress she planned to wear for the 4th of July in her closet. Guess what? The movers packed it! Pack the suitcases and put them in an area that is off limits to the packers.
- Write specific information on the boxes. Some people may wish to code their boxes with some sort of system to identify which boxes to unpack first. Kitchen items, children's toys, and clothing all may need to be in boxes labeled "1" to identify that it is a priority to unpack first. Seasonal items, books, and personal furnishings may be marked "2," for example, since they may not be crucial to the first weeks in a new home.
UNPACK:
- Unpack with a purpose. Movers should place boxes in designated rooms. They can unpack any large pieces and take away boxes and paper. Unpack and put away the contents of one box at a time. It makes for a much happier quality of life if you can keep entertaining space clear. Set a few personal items out in these areas (family photos, a favorite book, a vase of flowers) and move in your kitchen items so that you can cook and dine. Even though these areas may look spartan for awhile, you will not be overwhelmed with the sight of packing clutter every time you walk in the house or try to sit down for a meal the first few weeks.
- Set aside 15 minutes at the end of each unpacking day to tidy up your work site. Flatten boxes as you go, have garbage bags handy to discard all the excess wrapping paper, vacuum or sweep, and make sure you leave the work site clean. You will FEEL organized and ready to move ahead the next time you have to face the remaining pile of boxes.
Moving is an exhausting process, but ultimately leads to the rewarding
part of our lifestyle. By preparing for your move, you can enjoy the Foreign
Service experience even more.
Helen Long, a Foreign Service spouse and AAFSW member, lives and works
in Vienna, VA. She is the President of Long Solutions, LLC, www.longsolutions.org,
specializing in organization and redesign from "attic to basement.
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