After all these years, I still get excited when I find out we are PCSing. That is, until it's actually time to move. Moving is one of the biggest stressors in life. I believe I've heard it ranks right up there with the death of a loved one and childbirth. We are currently in the planning execution stages of our next PCS. Which, by the way, I think should stand for "Pensive, Chaotic, & Stressful" in addition to "Permanent Change of Station".
The preparations alone can put me in a tizzy. The deep cleaning starts almost immediately after we receive orders. The refrigerator and the oven (inside, outside, under and behind) are the two biggies for me. I wrestle with decisions about when to remove curtains, pictures, and other items from the walls. Do I start now and live in the stark reality of bare walls or do I wait until a day or two before they arrive so as not to lose the feeling of "home" too soon?
We accumulate more junk with each year and each child. Purge is my new favorite word. I love the word, hate the process. I'm not a card carrying member of the Pack Rat Club, but there are times I think I'm well on my way. If you could only see my upstairs hallway closet. My oldest daughter, 9 year old MD, is definitely an official member! She wants to save every pencil, scrap of paper, workbook, and project she has completed since Pre-K. I have to tackle her room soon, but will be sure to do it while she's at school. What's that they say about "see no evil"? Taming the clutter monster is never easy, but is always satisfying.
Truth be told, this will only be the second time in six moves that I will be here when the packers come. That doesn't mean there's any less stress involved, just that I don't normally have to watch them dump (and they do dump) my stuff into boxes. Being present should actually be easier on both of us because I can keep an eye on what's happening, instead of calling my husband every hour or so for an update. Which I'm sure he'll appreciate!
Of course, having all of our belongings packed and loaded onto the moving truck is really just the beginning. The unpacking, arranging of furniture, and hanging of pictures is when the real work begins! Ohhhh, I'm so not ready.
