Moving Day Approaches

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The decision to move from Las Vegas to Orlando was easy. Actually moving across the country, however, took a lot more work.



Packing up the house

What a daunting task! Since college, I have moved five separate times, with a couple temporary layovers in between. And yet somehow, I managed to accumulate more material goods each time I settled into a new place. Mark, on the other hand, had a respectfully consolidated collection of goods, which was easy to sort and pack. This move would challenge my outlook on possessions. My plan was to go through every single item I owned and sell, donate, or discard anything that hadn’t been touched within the last two years. This was pretty successful during the two weeks I was in full-throttle packing mode. But even with my rampant effort, there were still several boxes’ worth of goods to sort and pack a few days before departure. In the end, much of this was sacrificed to the dumpster for the sake of time. Everything we owned was going to fit into a 20' truck.




Economy versus Luxury

Moving is expensive, so we tried to do as much ourselves. The most costly items in our budget were the Uhaul rental and shipping Mark’s car from Las Vegas to Orlando. While Mark scouted for apartments in Orlando, I packed up our belongings in Las Vegas. Although we hired movers to load and unload the truck, it was a low-cost luxury I was willing to afford. My car was sold right before the move, relieving us of having to tow a car behind a giant moving truck. I’ll be buying a new car in Orlando after the moving dust settles.




Traveling with Four-Legged Friends

The cat. This was a point of anguish for me at the beginning; how to transport her safely and comfortably to her new home. The choice was made for kitty to ride in the Uhaul with us. She he wouldn’t enjoy the drive, but she also wouldn’t enjoy the flight or being abandoned in a new apartment for a week while we drove across country. We figured if she was going to be unhappy, it might as well be in the company of her humans. We ordered a travel litter box and a new (sturdy) cat carrier.




Good Bye, Vegas!

Before moving day, Mark and I invited our friends out and revisited some favorite spots on the Strip. There are certainly some things I will always miss. Local bands I just started to like, favorite restaurants, the coffee shop where Mark and I first met. But the things that made these places special are still coming with me.

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Photos

The closet of shame
Like Monica in "Friends," I also had a dark secret. This was my Everest during the packing stage.

Packing, Day 14
Lots of progress in two weeks

Battle scars
Moving furniture left a mark on me, literally.