Moving across country on my own for the first time at 24 consisted of shoving all loose papers considered “records” into a manila envelope, downing a few glasses of wine with friends and throwing everything I owned into whichever box was taped and opened in the middle of my living room floor. When I eventually opening the boxes in my new apartment, each box I opened confirmed that the well meaning packer (me) had spiraled, that fateful evening, further and further into madness. While desperately tearing apart boxes in search of kitchen utensils, I consistently found each box contained a variety of contradictions, such as a lamp (no shade), one shoe, a cutting board and my hair dryer. What seemed like simplicity at the outset, ended with growing exasperation at the finish line. As I grudgingly tore apart the remaining boxes, using my “Where’s Waldo” skills, I eventually found the pair to the lone shoe, but was still fork-less.
A year later, I met the love of my life. Handsome, charming, responsible, and not too shabby at flying a jet, I was smitten and soon found myself aligned with the ranks of the Military Spouse. Along with the sense of duty and pride came the inevitable PCS (permanent change of station) like clockwork every two to three years, or as the rest of the civilian world calls it: Moving.
Military moves, unlike moving in the rest of the world, require stacks of paperwork and planning, and military approval for everything from accessing your medical records to making an appointment to ship your car. As every military spouse knows, early planning can make or break a moving experience, and with much of it out of your direct control, the best plan of attack for a successful move is organization. So, packing my shoe, lamp and cutting board while using my old tax returns to wrap my dishes, no longer spelled a recipe for success. Through trial, error and one complicated move overseas and back, I have outlined my secret tips for a successful move, where you are guaranteed to find those errant forks at the end of the trip.
1. Start with a List
It is easy to find yourself overwhelmed with all of the steps necessary for a move, whether it is across the world or down the street. As details pop into your mind, write them down. I carry a pocket sized notebook full of the tasks that need to be completed, as often my short term memory fails me. Once down on paper, I find it easy to flip back and cross off completed items. This helps to eliminate the midnight panic of: “Did I remember to transfer the electricity account and send the post office my change of address? Even small personal things like, “goodbye lunch with the girls” are important not to forget. Lists will jog your memory and keep you on track.
2. Research your New Home
The internet is a magical tool, and my personal go-to tool is Google maps. Find your new home on the map and search for what’s close by. Before ever setting foot in the state of my new home, I am armed with maps to the nearest grocery store, video rental shop, hair salon and schools. From there I can research local rankings for these stores, crime statistics, weather forecasts for the next month, and local activities. I find it is also helpful to print all of this information out including up-to-date maps of the local area. GPS navigation systems are a great tool, but from experience I have found new construction and growth in some communities is not included on older systems. Today, the roads around my new home are outlined in detail on Google maps, but my GPS still thinks we live in an uncharted desert. The more you know the lay of the land before you arrive, the less overwhelmed you will feel in your new home.
3. De-clutter your Life
A great advantage of moving every two to three years is that it allows for a great de-garbaging of your household. Before each move we classify what we own into three groups: keep, donate, and throw away. Donating used items is a great way to help the community while earning a tax write off for your family. In one move, my husband and I donated all of his old, college-style furniture and bags of clothes that no longer fit and ended up with a tax write off of close to $200. As an added convenience, the Salvation Army even picked up our old furniture for free. For clothing that is soiled or beyond repair, it is best to throw it out along with old, expired canned goods that have been taking up space in the back of the cupboard. When we arrived in our new home, we found ourselves surrounded only by things we liked and actually used. De-cluttering is freedom!
4. Cleaning
Moving to and from rental properties, the goal is to retain all of your rental deposit while not spending it all on cleaning. When time is short, carpet and house cleaning services can be a life saver, but if you plan a bit in advance, you can quickly and cheaply clean and dash. For areas with major mess potential, like bathrooms, I find it easiest to clean one and then mark it off limits for use. You may end up sharing one shower for the house, but it saves going over and over the same area for spot cleaning. Wiping down the walls and the baseboards also make a huge difference in how clean the home looks. A quick swipe of the walls and vacuuming of the baseboards takes only a few minutes, but is often forgotten upon move out. Renting a carpet cleaner is also a great trick to save money on cleaning. Carpet cleaning services can charge hundreds of dollars to go through a three bedroom home, but renting one for $20 and exerting slightly more effort than vacuuming, you can save hundreds. Spots that I have been sure would require carpet replacement have come out with the rented carpet cleaner putting the entire surety deposit back into our pockets.
5. Packing
Learning from my infamous, one shoe, one lamp, one box experience, the greatest advice I can give for packing is to think in categories. It’s obvious to pack dishes with dishes, books with books, movies with games, but it’s also important to think about the length of time your belongings will be in transit. If you will only be separated from your belongings for a couple of days, you probably don’t have to worry, but if several months will pass before you are reunited (as I have had to work around) you should think about what you absolutely cannot live without for that period of time. Ask yourself: Will the weather change during the time I will be away from my personal belongings? Should I pack clothes to accommodate this? Will I need temporary dishes or kitchen utensils? If you find you have special circumstances that require these items, it’s easier to box them up and mail them to yourself at your new location than it is to check an additional bag at the airport.
As far as packing and sending clothes, my time as a military spouse clued me into a must-know secret. Always pack your clothes in plastic lidded bins. The cheapest place I have found these in the large sizes is at several dollar-type stores. The plastic lidded bins keep clothes free of moisture and dirt and can be reused each time you move. For delicate fabrics, this is essential, as I have fallen victim to moldy clothes shipped by boat over the ocean. Valuables should also be treated specially in a moving situation. Keeping jewelry and other fragile of precious items with you at all times keeps them out of harm’s way. When movers are in my home, I keep everything bundled together in the trunk of my car. Then, on my travel day, I pack them in my suitcase or carry-on. Theft is not inevitable, but I find peace of mind by taking that possibility off the table.
6. Documentation
As any military spouse knows, the key to a headache free move is documentation, documentation, documentation. With your personal belongings in a truck and out of your hands, keeping critical documents on hand is essential. Before each packing day, go through your filing cabinets and decide what you must have on hand throughout your travel and what documents are irreplaceable. For me, these categories are: moving documents – such as local maps and travel confirmations, personal information – medical records, passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates and school records, car documents – insurance, registration and warranties, housing documents – current and former leases, security deposit receipts, and insurance, and for military families: Orders – a military move cannot progress without hundreds of copies of this important piece of paper. Think through each step of the moving process and collect the corresponding paperwork. Place each category into an accordion style divided folder (preferably with a secure zip-up top) and carry it with you throughout your entire move.
By following the above bits of advice, my family has successfully navigated three military moves, including one move overseas and back. Advance planning and organization are critical for a successful move, and eliminates the headache of trying to locate that last matched pair of black stilettos which may or may not have traveled alongside your wedding china.
Wishing you the best of luck in your travels and success in your future moves.
