Did you find the moving process stressful?

[InstantlyRecognisable]

Because I am!

Moving overseas in early Jan, packers coming between Christmas and new year, and I feel so anxious and irritable.

Am really trying to keep it under and control, and we're pretty well organised really (all sorted, old stuff thrown out, things to come ready to be packed etc - except the toy mound which I'm currently avoiding).

But finding leaving work, DCs finishing school, packing up the house ready for letting, all quite hard. I have no doubt that the move is the right thing to do, and I'm excited. But still got that churning stomach, restless at night....

Just looking for some reassurance that it is all normal, please!

I'd say its more than normal. However, you sound well on top of it but it is a tricky time of year with snow, Xmas and school hols making it so much harder.

If you have any tips to throw my way they would be most welcome. Moving overseas in July and DW is leaving it all up to me to organise.

where are you going?

I think yes, moving is very stressful. I remember reading a list somewhere online - things that cause stress and top of the list after death of a partner/child was moving and changing job.

Hope it is a good move and things work out

Thanks. Have really tried to get ahead but scuppered by snow a bit, and Christmas has added to the pressure.

I had underestimated the emotional impact of finishing up life here, I think.

Off to the Far East.

I'm in exactly the same boat as you, tyring to sort drawers and cupboards, pack suitcases, do christmas, rent out house and keep samll child happy. In the end we decided to ship everything only 5 days before we fly out. Thought I would cope better with no stuff in NZ start with than I would with no stuff here in the UK when it is freezing cold. Just looking to forward to mid February when everything will arrive.

I was exactly the same. In fact, I think I found it especially hard as I am a bit of a control freak, and to put your lives in someone elses hands (my dh's company in my case) really, really stressed me out! The actual move itself though went totally smoothly.

I used to lay awake at night worrying about selling "my" house, would I get a job etc etc. It was all fine in the end, but in mhe it took a good year to get settled in and feel normal.

I was doing all that this time last year. DH had already moved to NZ to look for work in the November. I ended our tenancy, organised shippers, got myself a job (interview on Skype at 6am), booked flights, got schools organised in NZ for boys, cleared the house, got unwanted stuff taken away by charities, got everyone's presents, cleared classroom/organised work stuff to hand over (teacher), did a farewell party for my children, sold the car.....
It was very stressful but actually hugely liberating. Good luck and keep smiling.

Horopu, you are quite right that is very liberating. You have a good old clear out and a fresh start. I remember the feeling when I arrived in our new appartment. I had all the time in the world to sort everything, and anything was possible!

That's a much more positive way of looking at it!

Thanks. Yes, we are having a huge clear out, and it is (or will be) great. And we have this whole new adventure ahead of us.

And there is that control element - we were waiting for the go-ahead for a long time, and that was stressful, but I knew that was because I am a control freak and so I could deal with that better. It's this emotional drain of saying goodbye and this abrupt end to everything in our life all at once.

You are right, I had forgotten how draining it was emotionally, saying goodbye so many times to so many people.
The plus for us was that we had not seen my dh for 2 months (he had xmas alone) so we were looking forward to seeing him again.

My middle son was ill the day we were flying and I had to take him to hospital at 6am for a check up, then when the taxi arrived he said we would need 2 cars for our 14 bags, so we had the excitment of that! So it was all a last minute panic but quite good for distracting us. I burst into tears when I saw dh, it was such a relief!

Sorry that was not very positive was it!

My top advice for moving is to be 100% ready on the day the packers come in. They will swarm in and start packing in a number of rooms at the same time.

Each time we move I get a little better, but I'm still not there yet - when we moved in the summer I was still sterilising bottles when the guys were packing up the kitchen!

Good luck with the move :)

Or do what I did for packing - go to work and leave my dad in charge!

Hi!
LOL at sterilising bottles whilst movers in....my first international move was after DS was born and had him in a babybjorn, latched on and breastfeeding while packing! The crew was very embarrassed but had no other way of keeping my hands free and baby out of harm's way
Anxiety is the normal way to process. Its healthy and keeps you going through the motions and emotions.
Have not slept in 6 weeks myself. I crash at the end of the day and wake up up after 5 hours ready to go. Adrenaline pumping, even on those days where there is little to do but wait.
Unpacked yesterday and yes am so glad I did a big spring clean prior to packing.
Getting rid of things is very liberating and now laying the nest very neatly is equally satisfying!
Am very frustrated that its christmas and can't get thing like curtains etc... done quickly!

Remember you will get there just before chinese new year so make a list of all the little things you need done and get cracking as soon as you unpack because everybody disappears for 3 weeks around that time of year!

When we moved overseas, we just felt that we were on a treadmill. It wasn't particularly stressful because we weren't really making decisions for ourselves, and the timetable was fairly fixed.

There is a lot to think about and do, and I found that quite exhilirating.