There’s something to be said about packing your entire life in 60 or so boxes and moving them to a new destination and then expecting to find everything as you unpack and try to settle into your new location. 

I think the word is “AAUGH!”

Charlie Brown used this word quite a bit. I wonder if he ever had to move. He’s always wearing the same clothes, so he probably wouldn’t have much to pack. Maybe that’s the trick – get rid of all your crap so when you move you have less to find.

I’m still trying to figure out how an item I thought I packed in one box suddenly moved to a new box. We even had a couple boxes just disappear. And one box was full of socks and none of them matched. 

How does that happen? You almost get the feeling that when you pull that door closed to the moving van – little gremlins jump out and start mixing things up. How they do this without removing the tape is beyond me.

According to the U.S. Census, roughly 17 million people have a long-distance move annually. That adds up to a lot of boxes. The major-move activity takes place within the 18- to 34-year-olds, with people in their 20s representing the highest concentration. 

Once people reach their 50s, their move rate is minimal. I wish someone had told me that before we moved. And in people over the age of 70, the move percentages are below 2 percent annually. That makes sense since I did tell my wife I was never moving again.

I have quite a few friends in the military and they move all the time. I never seem to hear them complain about it either. Maybe the military trains you for stuff like that. I need some of that training.

Depending on what list you follow, moving is No. 7 on the ranking of life’s stressful events. I think it should be closer to No. 2 – divorce. My guess is many of the folks who move end up getting a divorce by the time it is all over. Listen to the following moving advice that I read from a web site that will remain anonymous:

“… Hiring professional movers, and relying on friends and family for help are all good ways to deal with the stress of moving. Make sure you plan everything ahead of time so that things go smoothly.”

Obviously, the person who wrote this never moved. 

We decided not to hire a mover because the reviews for most of the moving companies were nightmarish, to say the least. I will say our family did help us move, but not without some choice comments about how we should have hired a mover. 

And that part about planning everything ahead of time so things go smoothly? I’m going to use another famous quote by Charlie Brown, “Good grief.”

Here’s a little secret you should know regarding moving and cats – these two words don’t go together, and no amount of planning can prepare you for the inevitable.

So my recommendation if you are planning a move is, well, I don’t really have any advice. You’re on your own. Just know it’s going to be tough and you’ll probably let out a big Charlie Brown “SIGH” as you are unpacking and trying to find your socks.

Pack light, my friends!

Email DeLong at SeniorMomentsWithRich@gmail.com.