Have you ever had
the experience of finding the exact right book at the exact wrong moment? And I
don’t mean those times when you’re sure you put the book down somewhere where
you knew you definitely wouldn’t forget it, and you know you’ll find it eventually
but you’ve looked EVERYWHERE and have given it up for lost, so you finally pay
the late fee at the library and get back in your car only to find it under the
front seat.
Instead, I mean those occasions when you don’t even
know you should be looking for a book and the universe intervenes to drop into
your hands the book that perfectly fits your situation...only about two days
after it would have been really useful.
Friends, I am
living that moment as we speak. A few days ago I was standing at the New Nonfiction
shelf on the library’s first floor (at the bottom of the staircase, before you
walk into the Fiction section, if you’re interested), just minding my own
business and turning a few books face-out to attract readers, when I found it.
I found the book that, had I had it two months, two weeks, or even two days
earlier, would have made my life much less stressful. Even if I didn’t have
time to follow all the practical advice in the book, I would have at least had
the mental comfort of the author’s light-hearted prose. But no. I found “The
Art of Happy Moving: How to declutter, pack, and start over while maintaining
your sanity and finding happiness,” by Ali Wenzke, literally the day after I
moved.
Wenzke’s book
isn’t an exact how-to book for my situation - she has a lot of experience with
cross-country moves and I only moved locally within the Boston area, for
instance - but she’s got a lot of good advice about how to prepare for the
move, checklists for moving day itself, and even pro tips for how to settle
into your new home and neighborhood. It’s also a quick read, I’m already
halfway through and I’ve been busy unpacking.
More than
anything, “The Art of Happy Moving” is a moral support kind of book. Other
books and websites get more into the nitty-gritty of evaluating your finances
before you buy a house, how to budget all the different costs of home
ownership, etc, but the strength of Wenzke’s book is that it feels like having
a conversation with a trusted friend who has absolutely been there before, and
who knows how to get through a move not only unscathed, but also better off on
the other side.
And the real
showpiece of Wenzke’s book? “The Art of Happy Moving” is chock-full of great
advice for how to do every step of the moving process - with children. From
making regular (even non-moving-related) decluttering into a fun game, to
discussing the move with kids, to helping them integrate into their new school,
Wenzke gives real-world advice that is absolutely worth checking out.
So, how would my
move have gone differently if my timing hadn’t been so ironic? Things probably
would have shaken out differently in a number of ways. For instance, having an
official timeline checklist would have been helpful. I also might have narrowed
down my search to a shorter list of towns earlier in the process, saving myself
time not looking at towns less likely to fit my lifestyle.
One of this
book’s chapters is called “The secret to happy moving: get rid of everything
you own,” and she’s not really kidding. I had actually started decluttering
over the winter, getting rid of things that didn’t “spark joy,” a la Marie
Kondo. I also started packing well in advance of my move, but by the time I got
to moving day I wished I’d gotten rid of even more.
Luckily for me,
Wenzke includes a number of chapters aimed at the post-move reader, so my
timing might now be so unfortunate after all. Of particular interest are her
chapters on arranging your new house to be a happy home with special places for
your family and for entertaining, and on how to meet people and make friends in
your new town.
Kitty and I are
settling into our new place - and yes the book does have a chapter on moving
with pets - and getting back to our routine after the controlled chaos of
moving. Some boxes were packed so long ago that I’ve forgotten what’s in them,
so unboxing feels a little like opening gifts. I’m glad to be moving on to the
next step in the process, and even though moving is a necessary activity it’s
not something I recommend if you can help it. However, if you’re contemplating
or faced with a move, I do recommend picking up a copy of “The Art of Happy
Moving.” The Norwood library owns the hard copy, plus both the ebook and
e-Audiobook versions are available digitally through hoopla, which is
accessible to all Norwood residents. Happy moving day!
