The little joys of packing and preparing to move to the other side of the globe

I’ve learned a lot about in the past few weeks. For instance, even if you believe that your apartment has been re-rented. Check, double check, and check again. Otherwise, four days before you leave you could be on the phone with the leasing director screaming and crying that they failed to inform you that the potential sub-leaser you sent them was rejected three weeks earlier, and that subsequently you turned away four other possible leasers.

If you are a disorganized pack rat, packing can be an emotional minefield. You can open a book and see that when your mother was ten, she signed her name in it and that your sister, who died two years ago, did the same thing when she was ten. You might also come across caricatures that were drawn of you and friends six years ago in New York city, one of the friends being the late husband of your best friend. This means that in the middle of packing boxes, tape and stacks of your things, you will break down and cry. Allot time for this.

Also, as a disorganized pack rat, you could open a purse, wallet, or make up bag and find a Ritalin pill that, by your estimation would have to be four years old. You, of course, will take the pill. And you will get much done that day. However, when you lie in bed that night and your heart is pounding, you will remember, half doses. You used to take half doses.

If you live in a third floor walkup in the back corner of a courtyard building, with the trash room at the front of the building, every time you throw something out it will involve three flights down and about 250 yards to walk there, then back and up the three flights. Even as a disorganized pack rat you will find yourself opting to throw away rather than pay to store or ship most of the crap that you should have tossed years ago. This means blisters on your feet, sore muscles, angry shoulders and a crick in your neck from the approximately 40 bags of trash you carried down those three flights and through the courtyard to the trash room.

If you decide to sell your furniture on Craigslist, don’t carry all the cash in your wallet when you go to TJ Maxx to treat yourself with a new summer top. When you are in the dressing room, if you have more than the 8 items limit to try on, bring your purse with you while doing the hangar exchange. Otherwise some jackass of a bitch will go into your dressing room stall and rob you of the cash you just got for selling your sofa. This does not make you happy. However, it does make leaving Chicago a bit easier, if for only a few minutes.

Check and double check the baggage limits for all flights. Especially if you are flying to Washington DC and then San Jose California before leaving for Singapore. Miscalculating the weight requirements could cost you over 300 dollars each leg of your trip. The realization of this might cause a brief moment of hysteria. Then you discover UPS Ground. If you pack at least 5 days early, you can ship your two 60 lbs packed suitcases to your Mom’s in California.

Don’t pack all your winter clothes right away, especially if it’s March in Chicago. One day it will be in the 60’s, the next it will snow. This means you will be head first into a wardrobe box trying to find your boots and a sweater. Also, once you pack up everything, and keep a warm jacket, not a cool spring one, one a winter jacket, the weather will reach 70 degrees. You will wish you had packed that jacket for storage.

You need to make sure you get enough sleep, that you don’t forget to eat, and that you don’t over caffeinate. This combo could make you a bit insane. Especially a few days in row.

Salvation Army will stand you up for picking up your donation. If you haven’t eaten, you are overtired and over caffeinated, this will make you hysterical.

When your apartment is empty, you have all your windows open, it’s a 70 plus light breeze day and you are sitting on the back deck, you will be overcome with nostalgia and sadness about saying goodbye to what was your favorite apartment to date. And you’ll feel a little bit panicked and nervous about the property-less wandering life for which you are about to embark.