The Move

The Move

We have, by nature of some of our family goals and our business and investment  choices, moved frequently.  This became a science with labeled alphanumeric totes, categorized and very efficient.   This is no small thing; however it paled in comparison to moving out of the country.  We indeed underestimated the amount of work it takes to downsize life to some suitcases, compounded by the litany of kid-gear that comes with parenthood. I recommend downsizing, there are few feelings more liberating than hauling a truckload of unused life to a charity and watching it all go away; “stuff” becomes parasitic. 

We left SLC with our house rented furnished, some items at friend’s homes, a lot of packing into owner storage areas at rentals, but overall we packed carefully.  It took TIME.  Much more time was needed than ever expected to pack and downsize. We recommend taking your estimate of how long it will take to prepare and times it by your oldest child’s shoe size.   A day before our flights out two children became sick and began vomiting; this was a blessing and a curse.  While the airlines could care less and will only allow changes without penalty if you die or contract measles (no joke) it gave us another week and allowed us to become better organized.  It was actually cheaper to buy new tickets at that point than to pay the change fees and be reissued tickets… crazy, and telling.  Cheaper is relative; you must take your planned budget and times that by the sum of the ages of your children for concise fiscal numbers these endeavors require, if you don’t have kids add up the  your area code.

We made some great travel decisions…  a double stroller that, with a few added bungee cords, can carry 250lbs of luggage made airports negotiable, like our own checkable luggage cart, though no children ever sat in it the large wheeled stroller it was a huge hit, and cheap, $100 from a craigslist type site and new in the box.  I recommend them even if you have no children,  motorized they may double as a golf cart.

We flew and stayed overnight  due to a long layover, giving opportunity for some much needed R and R at a hotel with a pool and play area, continental breakfast and a host of other amenities available to guests  that check in earlier than  11pm and leave later than 3am as we did.  Never have a slept so well on an 8minute shuttle ride as that night.  

As you can imagine, with 3 kids, 4 carry-ons , 4 laptops, a stroller the size of some European cars and a pile of dolls, “purses” and other baggage only parents know,  for we caused travelers in line behind us at security screening to start making alternate plans, canceling pick-up times, etc. They actually opened up another screening line at one airport because we sufficiently stopped traffic while they removed Autumn’s milk from her sippy to thoroughly test for explosives.  Strange they failed to test contents of her diaper which have a known track record of fitting every description of what you cannot mail, ship or bring within 100m of an airplane.

Arriving, after a gratefully uneventful trip was like preparing for judgment day. I feared customs.  I was not importing crack or handguns, but knowing what potentially awaited us and the LINES of people that ran a head of our amoeba-like procession to serpentine of lines before customs… I was bracing for the worst. God must have seen our predicament, our tired kids and tired eyes as He led that wonderous employee whom I will forever remember, whom graciously ushered us past EVERYONE to the front of the line….  I knew behind me were not many angry people, but several which had watched us on the flight, smiled and were now quietly giving thanks for such an aware attendant.  We had checked 8 pieces of luggage, weighing between 46 and 50 lbs each as well as the other pile we flew with.  It seems like a lot but given the circumstances and in retrospect we planned and packed well for a move.  We shipped nothing, and yes, we did fit it all in a microbus cab. Bien Veniedos, we had made it.