Moving: To Hate or Not To Hate

I hate moving. I despise moving. I never really thought about why I hate moving until now, and I only thought about it because, well, I just moved again.

Let me explain a few of the reasons why I don't like to change residences.

1 - I think I've moved too much. From 2004 to 2006 I was an LDS (or Mormon) missionary in New York. As missionaries we move around quite a bit, and during the year and a half that I was there, I moved 5 times. Since 2006 I have moved 6 more times. It has become monotonous.

2 - Packing is my least favorite chore. Although it is a good way to go through piles of stuff and get rid of half of it, I do not like it. I wish I was rich enough to hire someone to do it for me.

3 - Unpacking is my second-to-least favorite chore. I like to organize in small parts, but unpacking an entire house is just overwhelming.

4 - I don't like feeling like I have to cook dinner with utensils that are still packed!

Since I've obviously had so much experience with moving, I have come up with a few things that I personally do to make it a little more enjoyable.

1 - Don't leave all the packing to the end. There are things that I have found I can live without for a few weeks if I pack them in advance. Things such as books, movies, some kitchen appliances, most of the canned food in my cupboard, etc. Decorations can also be taken down, wrapped, and packed if you feel like having an empty house for a little while.

2 - Get all the help you can! Especially on moving day. With this particular move that we just made, we moved only a few blocks away. My husband decided he wanted to move everything over as soon as possible and started doing it by himself instead of waiting for our families to help this weekend. He wore himself out. Neighbors and friends will help if you ask.

3 - When moving boxes into the new place, obviously you want to put them in the rooms they correspond with (living room, kitchen, etc.). I like to tackle one room at a time so I don't feel too overwhelmed. I start with the kitchen because I usually need those items the soonest. Otherwise we would spend way too much money eating out for every meal. The bedroom is the second most important. You will need to change your clothes every day.

With these few helpful tips, moving has become more bearable to me, although it's still not something I would like to do again anytime soon.