Moving Tips For Older Kids – tips that work!

And, my final a “year later” post, because it truly has been a year.  On year ago tomorrow, actually.
A year since we packed up our hopes and dreams, and brought them to the desert.

And I’d have to say it’s been a goodie.  I know where I was, I was putting wash in my washing machine, a mundane task — when I knew we were moving.

I just knew it.

No more was my focus on hating the school board (I will admit that took a bit of my focus, maybe 1%, I tried not to hate them too much), but it was knowing that we had a new home somewhere waiting for us.

A few thoughts on moving now that I have a fair amount of distance:

What was the hardest part:

Actually, changing schools — which surprised me.  I really thought it would be the church that I’d miss the most.  School was hands down the hardest though.  Church seems very similar here, but the school doesn’t.  I like the new school and God made it a really easy transition, but it was the hardest.

What was the easiest part:

I think my job.  I was really lucky to land where I did and feel really welcome in a new environment.  That isn’t to say it’s been a piece of cake, but it was alright.  I’m still dealing wtih doctors and other staff trusting me, but I’ve done it long enough to know that will come with time.

What do you miss the most:

The greek restaurant.  Athena Grill.  Oh, and Stan’s doughnuts.  Ok, maybe not.  It would obviously be the friends.  We had some friends who had a horrible tragedy this week and I HATE that I’m not there to take them a casserole.  Hate it, hate it, hate it.  I can send a card though.  Does anyone have their address?

What do you like most about AZ?:

The house.  Hands down.  I have no idea how I lived in under 1200 square feet.  We made it work, and I suppose if we had to do it again, we could — but I love this house.  It’s perfect.  It’s just under 2400 sq feet, btw.  I don’t think I’d want bigger, this is just right.

Do you have advice to people who are moving?

Come now, I always have advice.  Here’s my top 5 moving tips, a year later.

1.  Unpack one full room.  Have a room that you can walk into and breathe.  That was our kitchen, for us — I had it fully unpacked the first night.  I did one full room each day.  It felt good to have rooms that were “good” — better then meandering through the house doing a box here and there.  It als helps that our movers moved the beds and set them up for us.  That way we could have some place to sleep amidst the boxes.

2.  LABEL BOXES — I didn’t always take my own advice.  Put the room and the stuff that’s in it, if you can.  Helps a ton.  Buy a million sharpies, you will always be searching for one.

3.  New Bedding.  I saw on a today show segment this week, that their real estate advisor was selling her house and giving tips.  She said she put new bedding in each room when she sold.  Not only because it makes it look good, but also it reminds you that house is not really yours, because new bedding really changes everything.  I will say this helped.  It was like ripping off limbs to get us out of that town, sometimes.  But, I remember the day I came home and our realtor had staged everything and put up new photos etc.  It was a big deal for me, and it did help me separate from the home a bit easier.  I thought it was a good tip.  We, actually didn’t buy bedding.  We borrowed from friends, so that helped too.  I am also glad we didn’t BUY new bedding, because we ended-up buying a king mattress here.  Horray!

4.  Communicate.  we’ve actually had an “Arizona night” monthly on the date that we moved here (or around that date) where we go to the waffle house and just talk about the move and how everyone’s doing.  It’s been a good time to get the kids to open up with how they’re feeling with everything.  It’s hard, when you’re in your own turmoil to really realize your kids are in flux too.  It’s been a great tradition, and one that I’d highly recommend.

5.  As you open those boxes, open your mind.  I think I hated CA so much when we moved because I didn’t think we’d stay there.  I missed Utah so much, and I wasn’t putting down roots easily.  When I came here I vowed to put those roots in and really love my life here.  And I have.  Attitude is everything on that one.

So, that’s the final word.  We love it here.  We were meant to come, and as much as we miss our friends in CA it is SUCH a good feeling to know that you’re in the right place doing the right things.

I think it’s funny that we’re headed to the circus this week, we’ll celebrate the circus that was our lives last year.  It’s fun to look back (and not be moving, yuck.  I sure hated moving!).

Want to read more about moving?  Read more here, and check out my other parenting posts:

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