A long and rainy road to New Orleans:
How my daughter’s move helped me better serve my clients.
I was recently reminded just how stressful moving truly is. I know it sounds crazy – as a moving and relocation specialist I help my clients every day with their moves and you might think that moves for me are stress-free. But in fact, I know it’s hard. I really do. Even for professionals!
Nothing beats a first-hand experience of moving and relocation to hit home this reality. Not long ago, I spent a weekend helping my daughter Addie move into her first off-campus apartment at college in New Orleans. It was clear how stressful it was for her. And if you’re a parent, you know full well that when your child is stressed and anxious, you feel it in your bones! As challenging as the process was, it helped to remind me what my clients deal with on a deeper level. Even with all the best planning and execution there is still so much underlying stress when you move.
Lots of moving parts
During Addie’s move process, we did everything I do as a moving and relocation specialist for my clients. We had to pack her personal belongings, figure out her furniture and floor plan, arrange for the transportation, pack, load, unload, assemble furniture, clean her apartment, arrange for utilities and internet services, and do it all in a compressed time frame so she was ready to start the semester on time.
Addie is like some of my clients — super capable, very cool under pressure and generally good at project management and time management. But the pressure of all the moving parts, lack of sleep, and worry about what could go wrong took a toll on her. And she had me (her ace in the hole) by her side. Although she isn’t typically prone to worrying, this stressful situation had her worrying about
- what to bring and what to leave behind;
- how to pack and whether it would fit into the 4×8 foot Uhaul trailer we rented;
- driving her beloved Jeep Renegade towing a trailer;
- the very long drive to New Orleans, LA from New Jersey;
- the timing of everything upon arrival in New Orleans;
- parking the car/trailer at her apartment;
- having enough daylight to unload the car and trailer upon arrival; and
- returning the Uhaul rental before it expired.
Sight Unseen
Adding to her stress: The apartment was rented sight unseen. We’d spent considerable time reviewing the listing photos and the video shared by her future roommate but there was still uncertainty. Would she like it? Where would everything go and how would it fit? Would it even fit? The task of unpacking and setting up her apartment was stressing her out.
Basically, despite this new exciting chapter, she worried about everything. We talked about
- driving around a city where she has only ever ubered;
- settling back into school after a semester abroad; and
- living off-campus without a meal plan.
All this not-knowing was “low key killing her” (her exact words). And, who would expect anything else? This was a major life transition and no matter how well-organized she was, it was still stressful. All these stressors can easily translate to those a family like yours might experience moving to a new home, new town, new situation where nothing is routine and everything is new. Change is tough on everyone.
Be prepared for snags
We did hit some snags. The incessant rain on our 21 hour drive was exhausting and slowed us down even more than towing “sweet Luahu” as we called her – LuLu for short (Uhaul spelled backwards and all we could see in our rear view mirror). Fatigue magnifies everything and reduces coping skills. But it gets worse.
Upon arrival at the apartment we discovered no electricity or hot water. There are so many teachable moments around this issue but that’s for another blog entirely! Given this little hiccup we had to regroup and re-prioritize. Daylight was fading fast and my flight home was less than 24 hours away. After unloading (thankfully the rain had stopped) we used what little time we had before darkness settled in to start assembling her bed. Then we dashed out to Walmart to buy candles and lanterns. We also took time to return Luahu (the trailer), hydrate, and refuel.
This short break (plus the lanterns) gave us the boost we needed to do some serious unpacking and assembly into the night. I could tell she was still stressed and overtired but her worries were fading and by the time I left she was already getting her groove back.
Get Support
During this process I transitioned back and forth between mother and a moving and relocation specialist. I needed to acknowledge her stress and listen to her concerns while helping her anticipate issues and brainstorm solutions. I offered answers, reassurance, and confidence. Did we have words about the lack of electricity and what she could have done to avoid that issue? You betcha! Were there tears? Yep! But that was due to lack of sleep, the constant rain, and being trapped in a car for 21 hours. Fatigue really does make people crazy.
I knew it would all work out. We could handle any issue that presented itself. Supporting her was something I was capable of because it was not MY move. I was there to help and support, and focused on only her.
All this to remind you that everyone feels some level of stress throughout any kind of move, and I have plenty of professional and personal experience in this area. When you are planning your next move, open yourself up to my tips and strategies and consider reviewing how my services fit in with your goals.
For me and my team it’s just another day in the saltmine, so to speak. It’s routine and easy for us and we do everything we can to make it smooth and easy for YOU. If you have made the wise choice to use our support, you already know that we take care of it all. If you haven’t, I want you to know that Smartly Organized completely understands how stressful it is moving your family and entire household.
Give us a call. We’d love to be your moving and relocation specialist. Whether you’re moving 20 minutes or two-time zones away, we stand ready to help reduce your stress and get the job done right. Plus, we’ve got the lanterns ready!