the mad rush

So, in general I would advise that if you plan to move 3/4 of the way across the country, you give yourself more then 5 weeks from decision day until move in day... especially if you are driving there! But, when push comes to shove, and crunch time happens, you just get it done.


There are definitely things in this area that I wish I could have had time to do before we left, but there are definite bonuses to doing it this way too. We certainly aren't dwelling on our sadness over here!

Immediately after the decision we chose a weekend to fly there to find our apartment and sign our lease. We arranged for my mom to come stay with Gwen, and we booked airplane tickets, a rental car, and a hotel. We arranged tours with 4 pet-friendly apartments in the area (and school district) we wanted and the price range we needed.

Trav started interviewing moving companies. We started culling our belongings, deciding what we would take and what we would get rid of. We cut our book stash in half (wahhhhh), I got rid of a quarter of my purses/bags. Even Gwen got in on it, going through her books and toys to pick out the things too young for her or no longer desired. We posted a few bigger/nicer things on Craigslist, and planned a day for a yard sale (with a Purple Heart pick up for the next day!). We gifted a few items to friends we knew would enjoy them.

We started packing those things that we are taking, but that we won't need over the following weeks. That is definitely going to be the longest/hardest part, the packing, and its the big reason that my last work day is a week earlier then Trav's. It will be a busy week full of boxes for me.

Then there is the contacting of doctors for copies of records, of utility companies for shut off and turning on, of address changing and mailing forwarding. There is the contract with the rental agency for our house here. There are some houses fixes that need to be done before renting.

There is an actual route to Colorado that needs to be planned! 

And there are the goodbyes. Its a lot; its intense. But in such a short time we will be settling into a new house and this all will be done with!

Who's done a long distance move before? Any advice?