The Move Part 1
This is hard!!
According to Google AI, on average, Americans move 11.7 times during their lifetime.
Me, I’ve moved once—from my childhood home to the one I’ve shared with my husband since we married. As a result, I had no idea how difficult the process could be — physically as well as emotionally.
My husband and I (empty nesters) have been talking about moving since we were blessed with a grandchild two years ago—and a second this past February. We love the renewed energy in our lives, but being in New York with our grandchildren in Massachusetts, visits are sporadic and have to be planned. Of the two families, my husband and I are the most easily replanted.
We decided on a two-step move. First, downsizing to an apartment 30 minutes from our current home, renting for a year to give my husband and I time to figure out whether we want to either retire or work in Massachusetts.
In April, we took the plunge and signed with a realtor. Cue the dramatic music!
With a date set for an open house, my husband and I felt pressured to discard, clean, repair. We passed on social invites and spent over six weeks preparing the house for the market, tossing and donating unwanted items that have been laying around for years, and boxing up treasures we believe we’ll want or need in our next home. We hired College Hunks, a junk removal company who were less ‘hunky’ than advertised, but nonetheless, sweet guys who removed piles of old backyard junk.
An unexpected realization: releasing excess stuff is cathartic. Our culture as Americans is to be voracious consumers. We buy, collect, accumulate, and fill up every corner of our homes to overflow. And until the last few years, I was no different. Now, I feel focused and productive, less overwhelmed and less stressed by just having… less stuff. Who knew?
The day the house went on the market, a For Sale sign was installed out front of the home that my husband and I have lived in for the past 37+ years, a home where we raised our family and built a happy life.
Knowing that just about everything in our lives is about to change, my emotions around this move vary from day to day. I vacillate between excitement for our new adventure ahead and distress about leaving my beautiful home and community. The unknown is overwhelming and scary, yet sometimes, when I’m missing my grandchildren, the move can’t happen fast enough.
I’d love to hear back from my readers who have moved. Strategies, interesting stories, ideas to make things go more smoothly, and even the mishaps. Please share!
Stay tuned for The Move Part 2
