If you had to fit your life in the back of a Pontiac GrandAm… what would you bring?

There is nothing quite like packing your life into cardboard boxes, loading it into a giant truck, and driving it away.  It’s both terrifying and liberating.  I remember the days when everything I owned fit into the back of a Pontiac GrandAm.

While that’s all very vie bohème, I have to say that I have grown attached to certain bits of the “stuff” I’ve accumulated over the years.

If you had to start all over again and could only bring what fit in the back of a standard sized sedan, what would come with you?  What would you be sad to have to leave behind?

Things I’ve learned about moving:

• It sucks.

There is nothing fun about packing up your stuff, moving it into the truck, moving it back out of the truck, and unpacking it in your new place.  If only there were teleports, inexpensive movers, or enough disposable income to give away all current furniture and buy new ones in the next town.

• You will forget where you packed the toilet paper.

For this very reason, I carry a travel roll of Charmin in my day bag.  I really think that apartment complexes and realtors should get with the program and invest the small amount of cash necessary to provide new residents with one roll of TP.  It would be such an appreciated gesture.

• Even though you say “I will remember I packed ____ in this box”, you won’t.

I am currently searching for a bag of spare parts to my dining room table to find one little rubber doohicky that I need before I can screw the top on.  It’s a glass table, so the little rubber doohicky apparently keeps it from breaking when screwed onto the base.   Kinda important, no?  But do I remember where that bag of parts is?  Noooo.  I remember holding it up in Orlando and announcing its importance… and the rest is a mystery.

• Everyone will be shocked if a woman is driving the truck.

What is so damn impressive about me driving a 22 ft Penske and towing my car behind it?  Big vehicles work just like small vehicles.  Sure, there’s some extra manuevering and the whole issue of having to rely solely on mirrors to reverse, but it’s not all that bad.

I’ve had people express their utter shock and amazement that I drove the truck myself.  Some of them complete strangers.  (You lean against the truck for a good ten minutes at the gas station waiting for it to fill up with an ungodly amount of diesel.)

• Something will go wrong.

For me, it was going through seven Customer Service Reps for Time Warner Cable before I could finally get my internet up and running.  Seven.  I was on hold for a good hour, off and on.  Finally, once I had been escalated to Tier 3, I got internet.

• Your fridge will look sad.

My fridge currently contains 12 cans of Diet Pepsi, a box of Rainier cherries, a bottle of wine, and about 5 Spicy Asian boneless wings from WingStreet.  A trip to the grocery store is in order!

• You will be tired and excited at the same time.

There’s nothing like lounging in bed, utterly exhausted, but unable to sleep because your mind is going through the list of things that need to be done.  I think that’s what I’m going to do now…