My Experience & Tips for Moving Across the Country: Atlanta to Denver
Something to know about me is that I grew up wanting to move to every single place we visited on vacation. I’m not kidding. Every time we went somewhere new… Fripp Island, Washington D.C., Orlando… At some point during the trip, I would declare my intentions to move there when I grew up. Because of that, it might surprise you that moving to Denver in July of 2020 was the first time I actually moved anywhere in my life if you don’t count the move my parents made to Atlanta when I was two.
I grew up just north of Atlanta, went to college at Georgia Tech in Midtown, and then lived in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood just East of the city. I definitely caught the bug to move in college and was itching to explore, but for me, life was happening in Atlanta, and I will always love it there.
During quarantine, my boyfriend of 8 years, Brian received a job opportunity to move with his current company to Denver. After having spent many days inside, looking forward to the day we would be able to make plans and travel, we were really excited about the idea. Thankfully, my job also let me pack up, move, and stay onboard remotely.
Before we get into the nitty gritty details of moving (there was so much I didn’t know), I want to talk about the fear barrier. I have NO idea if that’s a real term, but if it isn’t, it should be. After talking with other friends that have also moved across the country, I know this is a shared experience.
To say I am afraid of change is the understatement of the century. And while I was ecstatic to move and live with B, the idea of leaving the city that had always been my home was terrifying. I often had to remind myself how excited I was when we first decided to move, because as the date got nearer, I could feel myself getting really anxious. My best friends were in Atlanta, my family was in Atlanta, I had favorite restaurants, streets, and coffee shops. It was familiar. BUT, on the second day of driving (still in Kansas), I started to see mountains. The sun was setting. And I couldn’t stop smiling. Like on all of those family vacations, I was on an adventure. It felt like I had broken through a barrier. We were doing it! More importantly, we were doing it together. And there would be new favorite streets, restaurants, and coffee shops. I would encourage you, if you are about to make a big move, to keep going. The fear will let up, the relief will set in, and the excitement will come.
Now, let’s get down to business.
You need a way to bring your stuff with you. Obviously. We chose to rent and drive a UHaul Truck. When I say “we”, I mean that Brian graciously volunteered to drive the beast. We chose a 10’ truck and it fit our boxes of clothes, a dining table and chairs, two armchairs, a mattress, and various boxes of decor, posters, and kitchen things. This is the smallest truck UHaul has, and it’s a bit bigger than the moving cubes we also looked at (we wouldn’t have been able to fit furniture if we went with the cube), which is something to keep in mind. We also made sure to rent furniture blankets, utility dollys, and furniture dollys. We weren’t sure what we would need and a couple of each turned out to be perfect.
Brian’s UHAUL Tips (it’s better you heard it from the driver himself):
Tip 1. Picking it up can be a pain if you pick it up from a 3rd party location, not a UHaul location. Try to choose a UHaul location if you can, because they will help you attach your car if needed. Even if it’s further away, you will get better service. Same goes for dropping it off if you have a car hitched.
Tip 2. The drive isn’t exactly comfortable and the aux doesn’t always work, or it didn’t in ours, at least. If you have a portable bluetooth speaker that you can play from the front seat, you will have a much more pleasant ride. Also, heads up: there is likely no cruise control.
Tip 3. If you are planning to tow a low-to-the-ground car, you will need to rent a car carrier with your UHaul, not just a hitch (the website will direct you to do so). It is also a good idea to buy a few cheap wood planks and bring them to help you drive your car onto the carrier without bottoming out. It’s possible they will have them at the location, but better safe than sorry.
Tip 4. Buy a few locks. One to lock the trunk area and another to lock your car onto the carrier. Then you won’t need to worry about it if you stay in a hotel where you can’t see your truck.
Before you even start packing.. Go through your stuff! I had the luxury (?) of preparing to move during quarantine, so everyone and their mother was Marie Kondo’ing their life and it felt super therapeutic to sort through all of my things. I know you know this, but if you haven’t worn it in 2 years, then it doesn’t deserve the valuable real estate in your UHaul. I don’t even remember what I got rid of and definitely don’t miss it, if that helps. I packed gradually, a box or two a week for several weeks, and I would highly recommend doing the same. I felt productive and like I was mentally preparing for the move and never felt behind.
When you get to your new place, keep a running list of the things you notice that you need. They will pop into your head as you unpack (dish towels, hand soap, garbage bags, spatulas, hangers, a small trash can for the bathroom, etc.) and you’ll be glad you wrote them down as you went when you get to the store.
There you have it! The few tips that I hope help you feel a little more prepared if you plan to move.
I know moving is just the beginning and there is so much beyond that. So many questions. Will I make friends? Where? How? What will I do on the weekend? Will it feel secure? Will it feel like home?
I can only speak to my own experience, and the adjustment is different for everyone. To ease the worry, I have tried to do the things that have always made me happy, and are location independent. Walking outside to see the neighborhood, trying new restaurants, driving around to look at houses, getting coffee from local shops, sitting in the park, etc. Even when you don’t feel like it, do the things that make you feel the most you. You are the one who led yourself all the way out here after all.