Just a few months ago, I picked up my life in California and moved across the country. I have known for a while that I wanted to leave California and move to the east coast but really, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Moving across the country is no joke... and trying to do so in less than a month was by far my most trying experience as an adult thus far. Despite the stress and anxiety that this move caused, I learned a lot and I have grown tremendously from the experience. So with that, here are 10 tips I wish I had known for moving across the country!
1. When you pack, be organized! Don't just shove random things into boxes!
When my boyfriend and I were packing, we made sure to organize the boxes into categories. For example, we put all of our kitchen ware together and labeled the boxes! When the moving truck arrived at our apartment, it was much easier to unpack because we were able to see which boxes belonged where.
2. Make sure you research your moving options to determine which method is the most cost effective!
We struggled a lot with this... Because my boyfriend is a college student and I just graduated, we were on a tight budget! We looked up how much it would cost to ship the furniture we already had and compared it to how much it would cost to buy things new when we arrived. We were able to find a really good deal on a truck that shipped all of our things and we were able to contact the truck on the road and give them our official address for shipment! Only a few things broke during the commute which is bound to happen but nothing was absolutely destroyed so we were very satisfied with the results!
3. Using apps like rent.com or Zillow are not the most effective ways to find housing.
We spent WEEKS on the computer before we left looking up apartments that would be available in the time frame that we needed to move in. No one answers phone calls, there are a TON of fake listings, and most people will not agree to rent to someone they haven't met and that haven't seen the apartment. When we arrived in Boston, we met with a realtor who took us around to visit a few different places and within a week we had moved into our apartment!
4. BUDGET!
This is probably the most important tip I can give to anyone moving any distance (long or short). You have to budget and make sure that you have enough money stashed just in case things don't go as planned. We were lucky enough to be able to stay with family when we first arrived in Boston so that we didn't have to pay for any hotels but we did have to pay for food and travel expenses! Take your time and do your math and give yourself room for error. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned so just make sure you are ready!
5. Prioritize your belongings.
When packing to move across the country and knowing that you are paying for the square footage that your belongings take up in the moving truck, it is SUPER important to consider what things you NEED to take with you versus things that you might just want to take with you. Down sizing was difficult given that neither my boyfriend or I have ever had to live in such a small space and travel such a long distance. We had to leave behind a few things that we might have wanted to but the necessities had to come first. When we finally unpacked everything, we had to purge even more and get rid of more things because our space is so limited. So rather than taking things that you don't need, get rid of them before you travel just to make things easier on yourself.
6. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
At first, we were so hell-bent on doing things ourselves that we didn't ask for help. But, moving across the country is hard. There is no easy way to do it so if help is available, ask for it! More often than not, you will find someone who is willing to offer a helping hand!
7. Do your research!
You need to know about where you're going before you get there. We spent countless hours researching different areas in Boston in order to determine where would be the best place to live and what would be the most convenient location in order for my boyfriend to avoid a long commute to school! It's also important to know about where you are moving to because if you are planning to meet with a realtor, you want to be able to give them some parameters and you don't want to end up living in a place that you don't want to be in! We gave our realtor 5 different areas that we would be okay with living in and he was able to provide insight about those areas and he was able to inform us of where we would be able to get the most bang for our buck!
8. Even if you are planning on living alone, try and have someone with you to help during the moving process!
I got lucky... I was able to move across the country with my best friend and love of my life. Being with him made every stressful situation that normally would have pushed me over the edge just a little bit easier. Whether you know someone who lives in the area you are moving to or if you have the ability to bring a friend or family member, it'll make things just a little easier. HOWEVER, if you don't have the ability to bring someone with you or you don't know anyone in the area you are moving to, don't let that discourage you from moving and don't let it scare you! It's totally doable! Just make sure you take the time to really plan and work everything out before you act on anything!
9. Bring a little piece of home with you.
For the first few nights, I really struggled... I'm not gonna lie. Even though I had my boyfriend, I was still depressed at times and I still felt lonely. I had to leave all of my friends and family and I had to leave my puppy back at home. It was hard and I'm not going to tell you that it is going to be easy because frankly, it isn't BUT the good news is, it'll pass. It takes some time and it takes some adjustment but your new home will eventually start to feel like home. I brought lots of pictures with me and I brought a couple of mementos that reminded me of home and of my family and it still helps me get through the tough days. We have lived in Boston for about 2 months now and it's still hard sometimes but everyday it gets a little bit easier and having something to remind you of home is always comforting.
And finally...
10. Don't ever let fear hold you back from following your heart and your dreams.
Like I said before, I knew that I wanted to move to the east coast and settle down but for the longest time, fear kept me from doing so. I didn't even leave California for school because I was terrified. I don't know what I was so scared of but I was... I really didn't think I could do it. I so badly wanted to major in musical theatre and go to school in New York but instead, I attended a college two freeway exits away from my house and didn't follow my heart and my dreams. I will probably regret that forever but... I will never let fear stop me from doing anything again because moving to the east coast was the best decision I ever made. I love Boston and I love my apartment. I love my job and I love that I get to pursue what I'm passionate about while working full time!
So go for it... Follow your heart and go where it leads! These tips aren't the end all be all and they might not work for everyone but I wish someone had told me all of these things before I packed my bags and got on that plane on July 5, 2017. Even though it was hard, and even though there were days that I really wondered if the pain was all worth it, I will never regret it!
