XOXO Leah: Moving!!
How to move as a person who hates moving
By Leah Keith
Life update: I moved.
You may be wondering, “Leah, you moved???” Well yes, thank you for asking. I moved from a Rau suite to a Caecilian dorm, and wow do I hate moving. First of all, I get weirdly sentimental when I need to leave a home, so of course I take a million pictures for memories. Second of all, I pack by just throwing all my stuff in random bags, which may not be the most effective moving method, but oh well, it gets the job done. Thirdly, unpacking takes me forever, and it often takes me weeks to feel settled in my new place.
Still unpacking, but at least my bed is made!
In college especially, we move quite often, and even people in their early 20s and 30s move around constantly. It can sometimes be hard to feel truly settled during this time in our lives, but that’s just part of the college experience I guess— feeling slightly uncomfortable wherever you live.
Anyway, here are my five moving tips for someone who dreads all aspects of moving.
Eat, caffeinate and hydrate before starting
When I started to move, I had a decent breakfast and my normal cup of coffee, but by the second hour of moving, I started tearing up because I was so hungry and tired. After getting some Chipotle and Dunkin, I felt immediately better. My hanger in combination with a caffeine headache did not help the moving process, so I always recommend fueling yourself before you start.
Find someone to help you move
My girlfriend is a freak and actually LIKES moving (idk …), so I was grateful she came to help me out. I honestly don’t think I would’ve been able to move all on my own, so I recommend asking your partner, friend, family member, etc. to help move. You will likely need at least two people for some of the heavy lifting.
Take reasonable breaks
As someone who hates moving, I need my breaks. Whether those breaks include getting a sweet treat, taking a walk, lying down, etc. — do whatever you need to do to relax. Of course, make sure you still move within a reasonable time as well, which leads to my next point…
Give yourself a set amount of time to move
ResLife gave me a weekend to move, and I was grateful we had a set time limit that motivated me to finish moving. Dragging out the process never makes it easier, so just move all of your stuff and then give yourself a few days to unpack. No one likes living in an empty home!
Reward yourself after the move is complete
I love rewarding myself for doing tasks I hate. After I finished moving, my dad took me to see Bruce Springsteen — that definitely motivated me to finish. How sad would it be for me to cancel seeing Bruce Springsteen because I took too much time to move? Anyway, the reward doesn’t need to be big, but maybe make a plan to see a movie or go out to eat or have a relaxing night in. Hopefully, the thought of the reward will motivate you to finish.
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As I mentioned, we move so much, from going back and forth to school and home to even just moving from one apartment to the next after a lease is over. I know I’m not the only one who dreads moving, and at this point, I just wanna live in one place for the rest of my life!! That probably won’t happen anytime soon, but a girl can dream.
Good luck with any and all of your future moves,
xoxo Leah
