Making the Move

Moving – It is said that moving is one of life’s most stressful endeavors. Yes, it is fraught with stress – I can vouch for that – but I have to admit that being single makes it much less troublesome. I cannot imagine trying to move a whole family and pets. The mind reels at the thought. 

I have just finished moving out of my beloved Marina Towers. However, it is a happy move for I am now a homeowner. The real estate market was incredibly inviting and I’m now paying less for my monthly mortgage, condo fees, and taxes than I was for rent. I now reside in a condo on Lake Shore Drive and actually have a nice view of the lake and its shore. 

The thing that made my move relatively easy was that I wasn’t rushed. I began hoarding office-paper boxes from work months ago when I first began snooping around Chicago’s real estate market. By moving time, I had over thirty of them squirreled away. 

I had also winnowed my belongings down to the essentials by that time. I subsisted on groceries that I had on hand; less to move later. Graduate school theology notes and VCR tapes went down the trash chute. Ugly shoes (what was I thinking?) and clothing that will never fit was chuted as well. My old clunky TV and microwave was given to other residents in the building. It was time for new ones anyway. 

I had also utilized the services of others. U-Haul will ship moving supplies to you free of charge, including boxes. A co-worker highly recommended some apartment movers to do the job at minimal cost (which they did splendidly.) A friend with a car graciously delivered my new TV. After moving, the last thing I wanted to do was to clean the apartment that I’d left behind. A professional maid service left the apartment gleaming within two hours; again, at a bargain. 

These movers and cleaners perform such backbreaking work and I don’t imagine they get paid much. They all received very generous tips, as they fully deserve. 

Moving from the 50^th floor of one high rise to the (paltry) 7^th floor of another presents some unique challenges. One must reserve freight elevators at both buildings at specific times which costs a pretty penny. If movers are late, everything gets thrown off; you might not even get the freight elevator. I began worrying about that several months ago.  

Helpful hint: Clean underpants are great for packing dishes. Just put a pair between each plate and bowl. However, I had to unpack the box labeled “kitchen” in order to have clean underpants to wear. That was weird. 

I’m now situated in my new condo and I love it here. 

I hope I never have to move again.