My family and I recently moved overseas and to be honest I thought it would be rather stressful. But here are some things that we did that made our trip much more enjoyable.
Create a Check List: Once you know the date of your move you should write down everything that you need to do before you move. Think outside the box on this one if you are going to rent your home there are added things to consider such as using a realtor or property manager, choosing the right insurance for the home. So there are a lot of things to consider when moving and you need to think long and hard to make sure you are covering everything. Create a Timeline: Once you know the date of your move and you have a check list, you should map it out. This is important because the daunting checklist you just created can be overwhelming and having a solid timeline can help you manage it. In some cases using a timeline can help you see that just checking off one a day, or three a week is all it takes. This will take a lot of pressure off your shoulders. Contact your Sponsor: A sponsor is someone appointed by your gaining command to assist in preparing for the move. They should provide you with a “Welcome aboard package” that includes some information about the community, and some information about your next duty station. If you have a family they will have lots of questions and concerns and you should use your sponsor to answer their questions. I suggest writing a family email together listing everyone’s questions and send it at once. That way all the questions get answered at the same time and you can call a family meeting to discuss. It can be a fun and exciting way to include the entire family in the move. Make multiple copies: You’ll soon see that when you move anywhere weather overseas or to another state, everybody and their mothers will want a copy of something. To save time I suggest making about ten copies of everything related such as your orders, lease agreements, entry approval forms, and flight itinerary just to name a few. This will prevent you from having to make several trips just to carry a copy back to that office saving you valuable time. Include your family: I’m referring to not only your spouse and kids but also your parents and siblings. For your Spouse and kids they should be included in every aspect of the move. Call a family meeting and hand out assignments using that checklist you created earlier. Decide who will pack the towels and silverware, this kills two birds with one stone. Not only are things getting done, but it keeps them busy and involved. Moving should be exciting for your family, not as if they are being forced to move. Included in the checklist should be time to set aside for relatives, you need to make sure you spend time with your parents, brothers, and sisters. It does no good if you up and leave and don’t take the time to put worrying minds at ease. This is also the time to get some extra help packing. They get some quality time in with you and you get quality help with the move.
Bottom line is there are a lot of things to do to prepare for your move and it can be a lot to take in. But it’s how you manage everything that makes the world of difference. Make that list, create a timeline and keep the family involved and you’ll see that the move can become fun and not just another task.