How NOT to make a cross country move

Last April my husband, Don, and I moved from Arizona to Arkansas. We knew it would be a big job and could get very expensive. Since we had a very limited budget, we decided we could do everything ourselves with minimal help for the heavy lifting. We started in January, weeding out some of the 20 years worth of accumulated junk we had stashed around the house. By February we were sizing up rental trucks and realizing that if we kept most of what we had planned to take, we were going to need 2 trucks. I now know that we should have started a full year before the move.

It was at this point that I jokingly said that we should just scrape everything out into the backyard, get a burn permit from the city, and have a bonfire. As time went on and we sorted more out for either donation or yard sale, the bonfire began to look better and better. With the help of our daughter-in-law we held a yard sale one weekend. I was amazed that people were not as excited about our junk as we were. Even though our prices were reasonable, we sold very little. Everything left over went to the local Hospice thrift store.

We began the process of sorting more things to get rid of at the beginning of March. We were scheduled to leave on April 8, so we needed to get a move on. Our son and daughter-in-law would be renting our house, so we knew it would be alright to leave a few things stored there. Also, there would be yard care equipment that they would need. We scratched off our list things like lawn mower, weed eater, and hoses. It was still too much. We began thinking of anything else they could use. I was surprised to find so much. Just about everything I couldn't take was labeled with their names. My brain was becoming numb. The day before the move we picked up the largest truck and a trailer to haul my husbands small SUV. By 2 a.m. we were too exhausted to load 1 more thing. To make matters worse, the more we took out of the house the more we found. Our possessions were procreating as fast as we could pack them. We gave up and went to bed. We knew we were leaving an embarrassing mess for the kids to take care of before they moved in, but there wasn't an ounce of energy left. They could sell or give away anything they didn't want. If you are planning this kind of move, don't wait until the day before to get the truck. Give yourself at least 2 days to load up. If I knew then what I know now, I would have had the bonfire. It would have been a lot easier and much cheaper.

The morning of April 8, we drove away from our old home. We likened ourselves to something from "The Grapes of Wrath". A huge truck with a dog's head sticking out the window, towing a vehicle packed full of junk, followed by a car with a senile shih tsu, an epileptic pug, and an ancient cat with a bad attitude.

Since we are very conscientious about our animals needs, this is the one part of the move that went fairly smoothly. We decided that our 2 year old Aussie would ride in the moving truck while the 2 small dogs and the cat would ride in the car. We switched off driving so neither of us had to do long stretches in the truck.

When traveling with animals it is especially important to plan a lot of stops throughout the day. They need to be able to get out for exercise, water, and pit stops. A good rule of thumb is add to everything. If you think you can make the trip in 2 days, plan for 3. Even though the cat wasn't complaining about being in his carrier, he needed a break from it every now and then. Here is a good checklist of things to take with you to make your travel easier for your pets and yourself. 1) Medications 2) vaccination records 3) enough leashes for everyone, plus an extra 4) Water. Think about how much you need and double that amount 5) Food. Again take more than you think you will need 6) favorite toys and beds.

There are a lot of nice hotels out there that list themselves as "Pet Friendly". Do not assume this means your pets. Call ahead and ask what their policy is. Often their intent is 1 tiny dog or a cat in a carrier. Not 1 medium and 2 small dogs, plus a cat that was not going to stay in a carrier overnight. You should also be prepared to pay extra for your pet. What we found was that if you don't mind using a blind eye and staying in a not so nice motel you can get by with all of those animals. Remember to go over your checklist before you leave every morning to be sure you have everything. We left the Aussie's favorite ball behind the first night. He was pretty disappointed to lose his squeaky.

You can only drive so long on straight stretches of highway before you get bored. Once this happens, road fatigue takes over. I'm here to tell you this only because I must have had a guardian angel riding along. On the afternoon of our second day it hit me hard. I had made an extra pit stop in the morning, putting Don half an hour ahead of me. I started feeling a little drowsy so tried to call him to check in and to relieve the boredom. Wouldn't you know, I couldn't get a signal. I'm not sure at what point I actually dozed off. I remember my car beeping because I lost traction, the loud bang as the median cables tore a hole in the rear fender and ripped off my bumper, then steering like a mad woman to keep from flipping before I got stopped safely on the side of the road. As soon as I discovered that no other cars had been near me and there was no danger to others I took stock of my furry passengers. The shih tsu was still asleep, the pug was no more neurotic than usual, but the cat was not happy. He would be sure I knew this by complaining for the next 30 minutes. I was in the middle of nowhere so I drove to the next exit to call Don. Still no signal. I went into a convenience store to buy caffeine pills and energy drinks then got back on the road. I didn't even look at the car. Nothing rattled, it ran fine, I just wanted to get to Don.

How do you tell your husband that you just wrecked the car and had a near death experience? "Honey, I've had a little accident but everything is fine. What is the next exit? Just wait for me there." I turned up the radio and sang all the way. The next day I did the same, all the way to our new home. I was afraid that if I stopped the drowsiness would creep up on me again. I later learned that singing is helpful because you breathe deeply and the extra oxygen keeps your mind alert. Lessons learned, if you are driving in separate vehicles do not lose sight of each other, plan ahead to have something to keep your mind busy, and most important at the very first inkling that you might be getting drowsy get off the road. Run a couple of laps around your car if you have to. Don't wait for the next exit or rest area like I did. You may never get there. At the first opportunity pull into a safe place and catch a nap. Better to be there late and alive not to mention the fact that nothing is so important that it gives us the right to put others in danger. To anyone who may have been on that road with me that day, I offer my most sincere apologies.