When moving apartments calls for more introspection than expected!
As I finally install the last drawer in my dresser and light a fresh candle in my new apartment, I can relax after three long weeks of moving. It has been a wild month! From the moment I landed at LAX post-vacation mode, the only thing that has been on my mind is the grueling process of packing my belongings and hauling them across the city. Even though it was my fourth time in five years, I was the most stressed I’ve ever felt. Now I have a moment to reflect on why it was different this time, how I could have done better, and what I learned.
Ask for help.
I am so used to doing everything by myself. Stressful environments heighten that times 1000. Society tricks young adults into thinking we have to have it figured out by now, but there’s absolutely no damn way that’s true. As self-sufficient as I’ve become by age 24, hanging curtains was a completely foreign concept. Luckily, my sister and good friend turned roommates are two of the most patient people I know when it comes to my temper tantrums. Swallowing my pride and asking for help flipped my perspective on creating a home in this new apartment. It became a bonding experience rather than stressful.
Plan ahead.
One thing I would change about this process is better planning financially. I knew it would put a dent in my bank account, but not to the extent it has. I think if I set aside more prior to beginning the move it would have relieved a lot of worry. Budgeting is always good to ease the mind!
Honor where I am in my life.
No matter how hard we try to avoid it, expectations always arise. This time it was a weird pressure to make everything perfect immediately. I wanted my dream bedroom and it had to be done in a week. Tunnel vision hit hard and I couldn’t focus on anything besides affording and finding the perfect furniture and decor. As I approached my deadline, my mental stability was close to nonexistent. I can’t afford the expensive dresser I love or a wall of plants I would probably kill in a month. But what I can do is honor what I can make of what I have in this moment. So I made my third IKEA trip to get an unfinished dresser I would personalize later and drilled my hundredth hole in the wall to hang some of my favorite photos I own. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine!
Whenever I spoke to anyone about my stresses about this new chapter in my life, the response I most often received was “What’s the rush?” I have a place to call home, great roommates, a cat that loves me, and a whole lot of time ahead.
Cheers,
Emma