Relocation, relocation!

Here is the last story I wrote for the Projector for the 2009-2010 school year...

For the past few months, my boyfriend Jeff and I have been searching endlessly for our first apartment. We wanted to live on Pembina Highway, and we wanted to be near a major bus route, but it seemed that nothing we could find was quite right. Thankfully, the perfect place became available a month ago. On April 1, 2010, we moved into our very own first apartment. It wasn’t the greatest timing, as we both are currently finishing school for the year, but we were determined to make the move as effortlessly as possible. It was a memorable experience, and I learned many new and interesting things about what not to do when moving out for the first time.

The top three things I learned throughout this experience are as follows:

1) Don’t take everything people want to give you, even if it’s free. I was so thankful that people were willing to provide Jeff and me with items to furnish our apartment, but it isn’t necessary to take absolutely everything that is offered. A person doesn’t need three sets of dishes, four sets of measuring spoons, and thirty coffee mugs. Nor does a person need 14 champagne flutes. Accept what you need, and then politely tell everyone else you are set for the moment.

2) Don’t move on an empty stomach. I learned this the hard way. After about three hours, we had everything in the apartment. Immediately, the beer appeared. Exhausted and thirsty, I cracked one open while setting up my bedroom. Big mistake. When moving into a new place for the first time, one tends to become immersed in their new environment. Unpacking becomes the first priority, and everything else becomes secondary. Remember to eat, because if you don’t, you won’t be feeling 100 per cent for very long. That’s what happened to me. I needed to take a very serious nap.

3) Don’t move in nice clothing. Yes, this is a weird one. I had spent all day at a trade show at school, and was going to the bar later the same evening, so it made sense to remain in the dress and tights I had been wearing all day. This was a bad move, because not only was I uncomfortable, I was only able to provide limited assistance. I couldn’t climb into the back of the truck, or get down on my hands and knees to grab the remote control that fell underneath the car. I didn’t realize how important mobility is when moving, and comfortable clothes are an absolute necessity.

Overall, I believe our first move was successful. We are completely unpacked an organized, and already it looks like we have lived there for years. Hopefully we won’t have to do it again anytime soon, because the single most important lesson I have learned is this: moving is absolutely exhausting.