By Chavie Resnick, with input from Raizy Sessel, Daniela Kogan & Divya Horesh. Originally printed in summer 2006.

Moving can be both sad and happy. When you move, you’re leaving your friends and everything else behind. That can be sad. But when you move, you’re also getting new friends, and getting to know a whole new place.

Packing

*Pack your own boxes so that they are easy to unpack. When you pack, write on the top of the box exactly what is on it so that you know where to find what you need.

*If you number your boxes, you’ll know exactly how many you have. You’ll also be able to make sure no boxes are missing when you move.

*Clothes can easily be packed without becoming wrinkled when you roll them instead of folding them. Then place the roll of clothing into the box.

*Since boxes might become punctured when they’re being moved and bumped around, place clothing in plastic bags

before packing them into boxes.

*Wrap anything fragile in lots of newspaper (it’s less messy if you get the newspaper paper without the words on it–your hands won’t get all black). A great way to pack blankets or towels is to use them as padding to wrap something fragile

*It’s great to get a head start on packing, but don’t pack too much too far in advance. Then you won’t be able to use things you need for a while because they’ll be packed.

Getting Rid of Things

Moving provides a great opportunity to go through your things and get rid of the stuff you don’t need. Keep a few extra boxes or bags handy: one for garbage, one for things to donate, and one for things that belong somewhere else in the house. Think realistically. Will you ever use your mini deck of cards that is missing eighteen cards? Throw it out. If you do this, you will have less to shlep to the new house.

Friends

It can be hard to leave friends when you move. Just remember that there are many ways you can keep in touch–you don’t have to stop being friends because of the distance.
*Give your friends something to remember you by, like a picture or a card.*Plan a goodbye party for all of your friends before you move. Focus on having a fun time and remembering the great memories you share together, rather than being sad.

*Buy an address book and fill it in with birthdays and addresses to send cards to.

*Make a scrapbook of good memories.

*If you have e-mail, exchange e-mail addresses with your friends. It’s an easy way to stay in touch.

Moving Day

*On moving day, visit your friends for the last good-byes.

*Place everything you will need as soon as you get to your new house in one box, so you don’t have to open all the boxes to find important things.

*Moving day can be hectic. Ask your parents if they need any help. Sometimes, the best way to help is just to stay out of the way.


Your New Town
*Depending on how far you live from your new town, see if you can visit your new house and new school before the move.

*If your town is far away, try to be pen-pals with someone who goes to your new school or will be your new neighbor. It will be nice to know someone in your new surroundings.

*Look over interesting sites of your to-be town and buy a map of the area.

Your New Room
One of the best parts of moving is decorating and setting up your new room. You can organize it any way you wish. For great ideas on how to make cute accessories, check out the craft column of past (and future) issues of YALDAH!Personalize your room and make it look like you! If you share a room, it’s a good time to decide where each of your things will go and how you want to decorate or organize the room together.
Unpacking
Don’t delay unpacking. It’s no fun to have boxes cluttering your room for months after you move in. Unpack your belongings and make sure everything you have has a place to go. It’s a good time to organize your belongings and decide where to store things.

Keep in Touch

If possible, visit your old home and friends.

Send pictures of your new house and school and friends to your old friends. Send birthday cards, and don’t forget to tell your old friends your new phone number and address. Remember the saying “make new friends, keep the old, one is silver, the other gold.”