Scared of Moving

Michael-

I moved from a fly-over state (Ohio) to California two years ago. I wasn't scared about the move because I was so darn excited to get married and live with my husband. After the fact, well, I pretty much hate California. Yet, I'm staying as long as the husband stays, so I'm trying to make the best of it.

I think that you'll find life in the Midwest much better overall. The people are polite, speak English and don't all drive like reckless fools. They're typically not as concerned with image as those on the West Coast and are much more likely to strike up conversations with strangers. The cost of living is less and there are very few earthquakes. Basically, it will be like paradise compared to L.A.

I can't help you with Los Angeles but I've moved from New York to Chicago so maybe that's close enough. Here's a few tips.

1. Plan. Figure out what has to get moved and where it's going to end up in the new home. If you're going to leave certain things in storage, they should be packed once for that. Don't mix storage stuff with stuff that has to get unpacked right away. Don't mix things that go in different rooms. Color code your boxes, make a chart, use those color labels you can get at staples.
2. Go professional if you have the money, container if you don't. I packed myself and drove on out. I'd never do it again if I possibly could avoid it. These days, there are wonderful services that allow you to get a 1/3 of a container load put on your driveway, you pack at your leisure, you keep calling for more containers until you're done. Given a week, they'll transport those minicontainers (locally, they call them PODS) to any city in the US where you can unpack them, again, one at a time off your driveway. It's cheaper than a mover and less stressful than the usual rental deal.

I've moved across the country several times now. Each time things worked out, but I ended up moving on for other reasons. Don't worry about the jitters right now; fear of change is normal. If you hate it there a year or two from now, you can always move back then. My guess is you won't want to.

we went from LA to NC. Just us, a truck of furniture, and the dog. It was kinda frightening, you know. We got married and two weeks later we were off for the great unknown on our own. My husband had never even been there before. I rented our first apartment over the phone/fax/internet.

It was definitely scary, but exhilarating.

Coming back was less intense. We knew where we were going, and the stuff was on someone else's truck. We made a vacatio out of it.

The best advice I can give you is to plan. Your route, your stops, even your food stops. MAke some time to stop and sightsee along the way. Keep all your paperwork with you and relax. You'll soon come to feel at home in the new place.

Plan, definitely, but be aware of those things you can control and those you can't.

If you decide to drive, there are plenty of scenic areas along the way (at least until you get into western Kansas.)

Try not to look at the event as a whole, but as manageable parts. Pack, load, drive day 1, etc.

I've moved across the county way too many times from Dallas to Colorado Springs. From Colorado Springs to Mulhouse, France. From there to Seattle, then from Seattle to St. Louis. We've used a variety of do it ourself to professional movers along the way and each has its advantages and disadvantages. My favorite was driving U-Haul trucks in eastern Wyoming during the Christmas season of 1998 in white out conditions ...

Plan as best you can, then enjoy the traveling. God will see you through.

As an Illinois farm boy moving to big city LA a few years ago, I was a bit intimidated but took it in stride fairly well I think. Not that I ever acclimated mind you, I still think Cali is a pit of blue state mental cases but the weather is nice. I am following your story since we are also looking at moving out and heading to Texas (a free state). Moving even across the street, which I did last time I moved, is not fun but learning a new city is quite exciting.

My primary concerns when moving to a new place.. even if it's not very far away.. are the essentials: employment, housing, payment of regularly scheduled bills. Whenever anything threatens the continuity of those, I get nervous.

6K: I'm not so sure I'd find the weather in CA very nice.

With you being from IL and I from WI, we're probably natural enemies (stupid flatlanders) ;) but as far as the weather goes, we're pretty similar.. though you're usually a bit warmer in the winter.

I like having 4 distinct seasons. The few times during the winter that I long for warmer temps (when it's too fricken cold outside to start the car, for example) simply cannot outweigh the rest of the times, during which I greatly enjoy WI weather.

So, CA can keep its sunshine, warmth, and earthquakes.. and MO can keep their earthquakes too.

One bit of caution about the winter, MW.. while snow can make driving pretty dangerous, ice is infinitely worse.. and in MO you're more at risk of getting ice during the winter than we are up here in WI. Just food for thought.

The move from Los Angeles (where I had lived from second grade until I was 24) to the Bay Area was an adventure. The move from California to Idaho was a little scary, but I knew I was moving from a place that hated everything I stood for, to a place that was largely in sync with me. That made it easy.

Moved all over. My dad was with the Federal Government and got a fairly late start with his career (military late and then college late). To get promoted, he had to move. I made the comment as a small child that I found it odd that a family spent more than two Christmasas in a house.

It's not bad - you acclimate pretty quickly. And this is a nice area. It's not the friendliest of the state (the more rural areas/cities are more friendly - like Springfield), but it's not bad. St. Charles has the Katy trail, too, which is very nice.

Welcome!

hln

Clayton:

The move from California to Idaho was a little scary, but I knew I was moving from a place that hated everything I stood for, to a place that was largely in sync with me. That made it easy.

Ditto for my move to Virginia - except that by this point in my life I'd moved so many friggin' times that the job change was the only scary part.

X: What part of Virginia are you in? Some parts are very crowded and expensive, aren't they?