Our newest guest blogger is Amy Jean Katterjohn, a recent graduate of Texas A&M (Class of 2012) and the current executive assistant here at McDonald Consulting Group. She has a degree in Zoology and a desire to help people better their lives.
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Moving to a new place can be really exciting, but when it comes down to the logistics of packing up your life and relocating everything you own, things can get a little overwhelming. My first year of college was a learning experience as I left my home in Austin and moved cities to attend Texas A&M in Galveston. What I didn’t know was that in the next year I would be moving all my things a total of 6 times.
Just out of high school and barely 18, I packed up “the essentials” to take with me to Galveston. Three weeks into my freshman year Hurricane Ike was due to hit and we were told to evacuate the island.
Two weeks later we were told that finishing out the semester in Galveston was impossible due to damages caused by the hurricane and we were finishing out the semester in College Station. This began the very quick learning curve of how cumbersome “the essentials” can be.
Each time I moved my things I realized something else that really wasn’t necessary for me to have while in college. Why did I need to have my prom dress? Or all 10 board games? Why did I need a carpet that was more cumbersome than functional? Why was I keeping all my favorite books with me? These things were nice to have, but in the end their usefulness did not make up for the fact that it was another box I had to pack up and carry up or down stairs.
When packing to move whether it is heading to college, moving your office or relocating homes permanently, I would suggest a few ideas.
As you are packing up your things, go through and decide if that item is really something you need to keep. Ask yourself: Have I used this in the last 6 months? Will I use this in the next 6 months? Does it have sentimental value? Is it worth the effort it will take to move it? If the answer is yes, pack it! If you said no to one or more, decide whether or not you really need to keep it. Remember the more things you keep, the more you have to pack and move. By sorting things out before you pack them, you reduce the number of boxes you have to actually move to the new location and it saves on time unpacking when you get there. Donating things is great and if you can find clothes you haven’t worn in a while or books you love but haven’t read in years (we all have them sitting on a bookshelf somewhere) why not bless somebody else who will actually use them?
When packing, unless you have a strong man who is willing to lift very heavy boxes, I would suggest not packing all your books in one box. As a book lover myself I have personally learned that it is rather difficult carrying a box filled to the brim of textbooks and my favorite novels up 3 flights of stairs. Because they are flat, books can fit easily in the small spaces between other items that you pack. If you don’t want to separate your books, use smaller boxes in order to divide the total weight.
When unpacking in your new place ask yourself again if you really need to keep that picture or extra floor lamp. If you don’t, donate it or throw it away.
Finally, if you are having trouble finding a place to put something in your new home, maybe you don’t need it. I have found that anything truly essential will practically find its own place in your house. All of these things help lighten up your moving experience and can declutter a living space.
