The Lessons We Have Learned
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Start throwing things out the second you consider leaving the country–it is never too soon!
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Don’t sell the kids’ beds early on Craigslist so that they have to sleep on camping mats on the floor for a month–they get really mad at you!!
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Definitely build a gap between the time you move out of your house/apartment and the time that you leave the country. (Heretofore called the “GAP.”) We had a 9 day GAP, every hour of which it seems we have filled with the business of prepping for the trip. If we had left the day or two after moving out, I don’t know that we would have made it, and, we certainly would have been a complete, stressed-out mess.
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Keep your bathroom scale out of storage so that you can weigh your luggage to make sure each piece comes in under the weight limit established by the airlines.
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When you pack your crap into boxes to move to storage, use lots of white newsprint packing paper–buy about five more boxes of it than you think you will need!
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Own cars with an eye toward who might buy them when you are selling down the road. We learned that in a recession, the only people with cash to buy cars are senior citizens, so make sure your car works for them!
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Send your kids to the grandparents, uncles, cousins, aunts, and/or friends during the GAP (under the guise of, “this is your last chance to see the little tykes…”). You are much more productive when you are kid-free. If you can’t ship the wee ones off to a trusted friend or family member, double the length of time that you believe you may need to establish as the GAP!!!
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