A cross-country move is bound to create a laundry list of fears.  I have them, spectrum A to Z style.  And even though I’ve done this move before, almost to a tee, the same fear gets me every time.  Will all of my precious-to-me cargo arrive safely to my new home?

I can tell you with fair certainty that it probably will.  And I can tell you with complete certainty that the three-hundred pound man with a goatee and two-size too small muscle tee that’s moving my stuff won’t want anything to do with my favorite orange work dress, uber faded LBD, and brand new yellow jeans.  But!  The fear remains.  And it will be there, annoying me softly, until every last container is unloaded and unpacked.

So thirteen moves.  This will be my thirteenth move since my mom dropped me off at college 10-1/2 years ago.  And yeah that’s too many moves to be having this same darn fear.  But I’ve become a pretty solid packer/mover in all other aspects along the way, so that’s got to count for something, right?

Like contractor bags are a must.  Don’t pack your clothes in garment boxes, stick to contractor bags.  They’re tough (tuff), cheap, and hold more than you could ever imagine.  Tie the tops carefully and you can probably use them again for a hefty chore at some point down the road.

Storage totes.  I used storage totes when I moved back from Dallas and it was a total game-changer.  No worries about too-heavy boxes with no handles.  No trash when you arrive.  Just storage for the stuff that isn’t meant to be unpacked when you get there.  Who knows, they may even come in handy for your 14th move.

Pizza.  Eat crappy pizza while you’re packing.  Don’t dirty every dish in your kitchen, eat pizza and pack your dishes instead.

Oh and music.  Music is key.  Listen to songs that remind you of the time you spent in your current space (maybe on repeat).  I promise you that there will be a time when you miss these moments more than you could ever imagine.  These songs will forever give you a solid dose of nostalgia about the last nights you spent in your current town, the nights you spent stuffing your clothes in contractor bags, packing heavy storage totes, and eating way too much crappy pizza.