melly_mel

my secret to moving: AMTRAK, AMTRAK, AMTRAK!

it has proven to be the absolute cheapest option by far to ship things long distances in the US. they do it based on weight.

i moved from seattle to san francisco two years ago and had clothes, books, kitchen supplies, photos/keepsakes, the like. i had 8-10 boxes total, or something like that, and paid around $150 for station to station delivery. this was in early 2009, and if i remember correctly, it was $67 for the first 100 pounds and .57 for every pound thereafter. with a one-way ticket, i spent less than $250 total to make my move. they shrink/plastic wrapped my boxes together and made it safely to its destination just fine in record time (a few days)

of course, if you're taking large/heavy furniture items that aren't easy to disassemble (read: not cheap ikea crap), this may be a bit more cumbersome of an option.

i plan on doing it again this time around, but still need to call for the most updated prices. i've heard that if your stuff gets there before you do, they charge some really low fee to keep it for a few days (as in, $4 or some crazy thing).

my tricky question isn't so much the method of delivery as it is the logistics of finding a place to live before i actually make the move. i'll be coming fresh off a trip abroad and back in my current city. do i just hop on a plane and show up? i only know one person in this new city who i could stay with for a bit, and even then it's more of an acquaintance. the timing of my stuff arriving comes into question if i don't have a place secured. do i fly there beforehand for a few days, apartment hunt like crazy, fly back and then ship? not ideal to be wasting two plane tickets, and in the middle of summer. do i try my best to find something decent looking online and sign a lease and take a chance? (i'm not at all crazy about this last option, and don't think i will...but still). what to do!

don't be too hard on yourself. it's an incredibly huge life shift you're making, so it's not altogether unexpected to find yourself in a strange place mentally and emotionally. i went through a few weeks of not sleeping, overeating, and being a hermit. after awhile i recognized that it was really important to take care of myself, and that while all this was normal, i had the choice to make of how i wanted to tackle it all. granted, it's still incredibly overwhelming and emotional to be leaving, but it's all a big adventure in the end and all you can do is roll with it. you'll turn that corner soon

don't be too hard on yourself. it's an incredibly huge life shift you're making, so it's not altogether unexpected to find yourself in a strange place mentally and emotionally. i went through a few weeks of not sleeping, overeating, and being a hermit. after awhile i recognized that it was really important to take care of myself, and that while all this was normal, i had the choice to make of how i wanted to tackle it all. granted, it's still incredibly overwhelming and emotional to be leaving, but it's all a big adventure in the end and all you can do is roll with it. you'll turn that corner soon

I guess misery loves company, because I feel a bit better having read this thread. Some folks think I'm stressing out way more than I need to be, and maybe that's true...but it's hard to be waiting, waiting, waiting, not knowing what's going to happen with what you anticipate to be a huge new chapter in your life. It's a big step. It's complicated. There are so many things to consider. Just knowing one way or another would be helpful. I've heard from two, am waiting on my top choice. My fault for putting it in so late, but what can you do. I agree, vacations all around!