Packing and Moving… and Moving … and Moving

This past weekend Sarah and I really started to get serious about packing. We’re closing on our house on the 30th, so the clock is certainly ticking. We’ve only been in this house a bit over three years but have certainly done what we could to fill the house with all kinds of things in that time.

But the real challenge is our living arrangements over the next 6-8 months. Here’s what that looks like:
- April 30th move out of our house on 4th Ave in Minneapolis
- April 30th – June 9th in a furnished apartment on 13th Ave
- June 9th – Fall 2010 in an apartment in Brownsburg, Indiana
- Fall 2010 move into new house in Brownsburg

So four homes in 2010. I believe the term “constant transition” is relevant here. I hope we don’t forget one of the kids during a move.

Packing is one thing, but the big challenge is what stuff goes where? What will we need for six weeks in the furnished apartment? What will we need for five or six months in the Brownsburg apartment this summer? What goes into storage to wait until we get into the house? How much is Frederick going to grow in the next six months? Can we pack away winter coats? (the answer is “no” if we were staying in Minnesota, but we should be good in Indiana, eh?) Should we take the rice cooker to 13th Ave or ship it to Indy? How many floor puzzles will we really need over the next six-weeks-to-five-months? If we pack all the pie pans until the fall, doesn’t that mean no strawberry-rhubarb pie this year? Oh the horror!

Not to get too introspective about it, but this is basically an exercise in looking at every item you own and saying “when will I really need this?” or “do I really need this at all?” (or, more pointedly, “what is all this shit”?) Books, clothing, furniture, toys, housewares – it’s all scrutinized with a new lens. (For me, that lens is “I’m probably going to have to pick up this thing and move it about 2-5 times over the next eight months. Is the corresponding back pain worth it?” also known as the “Ibuprofin Corollary”)

Anyway – if we’re on your Christmas card list good luck tracking us down. I’m sure the USPS is going to assume we’re on the lam this summer. And if you drive by our house in the next week and see a futon with the word “free” taped to it, knock yourself out.