Moving is no picnic

Moving is no picnic, at least for me. I was active duty military for 7 years, then became a military wife for the next 11 years. We moved eight times in 14 years, so I have a little experience at this heinous chore. Sometimes we were given a years notice, and sometimes weeks, to make moving preparations. I learned to keep storage boxes and keep them filled and labeled. I also learned not to remove anything from the box unless I really needed it. During my moving mecca, I had to decide whether to move my myself (as in pack everything and rent a truck); or to call the movers and let them handle everything. It was a tough call because I knew where all my things were if I moved them myself, plus there were a few dollars to be made on a self-move. If I let the movers come in, there was a good chance my stuff would be broken at the least and/or completely lost. But having the movers come in meant one day packing everything, the next half day moving; then we were free until we arrived at our next duty station. It was always a tough decision. But regardless, I became an expert of sorts. I learned to inventory most of my belongings and to always carry things like our important documents and my jewelry with me at all times. When moving, it is always important to remember where the family pets are, as one time a mover packed our gerbils in a box and we had tear thru alot of them to find the little darlings. If you move alot, it is best to keep a basic household. Instead of having a setting of china for 12; I had a set of Corel, non-breakable dishes for 6. I had very little glassware or glass figurines as I got tired of replacing the ones that broke during every move. I quit buying new furniture that couldn't endure the constant moves or the children jumping on it. I had my own toolbox so that I could take apart and put together furniture at a moments notice. The moving seemed to get easier as the children got older. I would put each one in charge of packing their own belongings and made sure they had a checklist to go by to help them. I kept alot of packing materials like newspaper and bubble wrap handy, not to mention packing tape. Moving may not be a fun endeavor; but you can make it easier by planning ahead.