A move is never likely to be “easy” at the best of times, but it’s certainly the case that the further away you’re moving, the tougher the entire process is likely to be.
On longer distance moves — where across state lines, or even international — you’re going to be exposed to all kinds of upheavals that you would be spared if you were just moving to another home in the same town.
You’ll likely be physically estranged from your friends and family. You may experience a culture — or even a language shock as a result of the move. You find yourself in unfamiliar territory, and you’re not entirely sure of how things work in the local community.
Despite all of this, longer haul home moves are often deeply fulfilling, when all is said and done, and may well mark some of the high points of your life. But they undoubtedly take work, too.
If you’re planning a long-haul move in the near future, here are some suggestions for staying sane during the process.
Plan the logistics out at the earliest possible stage
If you’re just moving from your current home, to another home a bit further down the street, you’re unlikely to find that transportation of goods is likely to be a major strategic stumbling point in the move.
When you’re moving far afield, however, you really do need to plan out the logistics at the earliest possible stage, and to consider all the implications of using different services, too.
You will, for example, need to look into full service movers long distance, as the standard one-person man-with-man operation is not likely to do you much good here.
The earlier you can get this particular issue resolved, the better for your sanity.
Expect disorientation and culture shock, and reestablish familiar habits as soon as possible
As a longer move always comes with a higher degree of disorientation than a shorter move, and as this can be added to, to an enormous degree, by culture shock, it is essential for you to figure out ways to restore a sense of familiarity and normality as soon as possible.
Otherwise, it’s likely that you’re going to have to put up with an unnecessary degree of emotional turmoil and chaos as a result.
When it comes to restoring a sense of familiarity, the first thing you should do is to reestablish familiar habits as soon as you possibly can. If you normally have set mealtimes, keep those the same. Keep your waking-up time the same. Get your routines back to baseline quickly.
Do your unpacking in one shot — don’t let boxes linger for weeks, months, or even years
Many people, when they move, drag out the process of actually unpacking so that it takes weeks, months, or even years before all boxes have been emptied out.
Failing to get your unpacking handled promptly, however, just leaves you in a mental state of limbo for an extended period of time, and prevents you from truly feeling “settled” and “at home”.
Instead of dragging the process out, focus on doing your unpacking in one shot. Ideally, it should take no longer than a week. Don’t get complacent with boxes in the attic or in the corner of the room.
Are you planning a big move soon? If so, do share where and what your plans or tips you may have for packing and traveling.
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