We moved from Texas to Oklahoma this week and will be moving to New York City at the end of next month. Here are a few things Not-To-Do that we have discovered along the way:
1. Rent the smaller U-haul trailer.
The first tip we have for anyone moving a significant distance is to rent a trailer bigger than you might expect. The photo in this blog is the 2nd trailer we rented, because the first one was way too small. We sold stuff, threw stuff out, and gave stuff away so we thought we wouldn't have much to pack up when we got the U-haul. However, that was not the case! Somehow we couldn't part with some things (not yet anyway). Figurines, old awards, and random knick-knacks associated with special memories are going with us for now (at least until we get to our parents' attics, shhh). Whatever you do, don't rent the smaller U-haul trailer!
2. Believe that someone will want your 27-inch television thats weighs 270 pounds.
This thing was awesome just 8 short years ago. High definition. Great clear sound. The problem? It feels like you and your, very necessary, lifting partner are carrying a Toyota Corolla into your living room. It turns out that the only person that wants your over-sized TV is a 12-year old middle school student who has no where to put the "monster monitor". Pawn shops wouldn't take them. It didn't sell at the garage sale. And now the local Goodwill says that they've written a new policy stating "No More Televisions". Just a heads up, Best Buy will take your "beast of a machine" for $25 and recycle it. Sounds like a deal to me.
3. Pack the night before.
Planning a packing party the night before you leave sounds like a great idea. It is not. It takes longer than you want it to last. We packed most of our big items beforehand, but the little items overwhelmed us, especially since Becky just had to go to Wrestlemania 32 that night and see all her favorite WWE superstars.
Yes, that Wrestlemania. I suppose it was a fun time spent with 101,000 of our closet friends but we had work to do. Luckily, I dragged Becky out of there after John Cena came and rescued The Rock in dramatic fashion from 3 large, bearded men.
4. Forget to notify your credit/debit card company that you're moving.
If you bank with a financial institution that has advanced monitoring security regarding your credit/debit cards, then make sure you do NOT forget to tell them that you are moving to a different state. This is also helpful information for when you are traveling for a short length of time, too. I really appreciate cashiers checking to see if it is really "me" using my cards. However, when you actually need to buy something and have no cash, it is a terrible inconvenience for your bank to decline your card because they don't think the real Jordan Sauceda would buy a "Green Bomb Burrito" from an out of town gas station at 1:00am. Trust me, Jordan Sauceda, has been buying questionable food choices from gas stations for a long time. Don't decline my card.
5. Label some boxes.
Confession time: I wasn't going to label the boxes at all. Its all our stuff. Its all going with us, right? So why do we need to label boxes? I'm glad Becky labeled some boxes, but now I wish I would have helped her and just labeled everything. I'm pretty sure we've lost stuff while making this move, but I'm also pretty sure we won't know what is missing until months down the road when we go through these boxes. Label all the boxes.
6. Eat a big meal before driving.
This one! Pay attention to this one. I still had a few gift-cards left to a few local food places in town. I used them earlier the day we left town and had a larger than normal breakfast and lunch. I know better. You know better. We all know better. But sometimes mistakes are made and you eat too much. I'll end that story there.
7. Take an unfamiliar short-cut because you lost time on your trip since you had to take yet another pit stop because you ate a big meal before driving on your long trip.
Have a map. Use your GPS. Stay the course. Do not take an unfamiliar short-cut. I've never seen that much of Ada, Oklahoma before this trip. Now I have. I did not realize that you needed exact change to take the Chickasaw Turnpike. Now I do.
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