The Moving Plan (Subject to Change)

It's somewhat overwhelming to make a plan to move us, all our stuff, and two fat/spoiled cats across the country to an area that we have never even visited before. We had a million different ideas about how to best approach this move, but we've decided on the more 'adventurous' option.

We have decided that Robb will leave Orlando (in his car) around July 1st. He will probably take a week to drive out there and then hopefully be able to sublet a room or apartment in Seattle for about a month. Then he'll spend his time trying to nail down an apartment for us to live, getting to know the area, networking with people he meets, and applying for jobs. His last day of work was on Monday, so he has less than 2 weeks to find a place to sublet, help me pack up some of our apartment, and create his cross-country plan. I think Robb's very excited about driving across country by himself and having this 'once in a lifetime' adventure. I think I'll buy him "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac as a book on CD for his drive.

In the meantime, I will be packing the rest of the apartment and taking care of all the last minute details that come with moving (forwarding the mail, arranging for the electricity to be shut off, cleaning the apartment, etc.) I plan on leaving town the end of July, when our lease is up. And I'm so grateful that my recently retired Dad has offered to drive out to Seattle with me so I don't have to do the whole trip by myself.

There are some big questions still on the table that will hopefully be resolved this week. We haven't decided if we're going to hire movers or drive a Penske rental truck. We're getting moving quotes this week, so I'm hoping that the costs are where they need to be for us to use professionals. Otherwise, my poor Dad will be driving a Penske truck and towing our car for the entire drive. (Although I'm an excellent driver with my little Honda, I don't know if I could handle a moving truck and towing!)

If anyone has suggestions or ways to make our move easier, please let me know! While I've moved several times in my life because I was an Army brat, most of those moves were handled very well by my parents and the United States Army. And Robb's and my move from VA to FL will not even compare to moving from FL to WA.