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Will Moving Make Me Happier?

The pros and cons of hitting the highway..

Posted December 16, 2015 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

People move to find something. Find work. Find love. Find happiness . Find themselves. Does moving actually help us find what we’re looking for?

It has been five years since we left Chicago for southern California. Carting boxes over icy sidewalks in subzero temperatures, shoveling out a snowbank the size of a moving truck—the proverbial grass had to be greener on the other side, right?

Research suggests that isn’t necessarily so. Schkade and Kahneman (1998) report that Midwesterners expect Californians to be more satisfied, when in fact people in both regions report similar levels of life satisfaction.

Perhaps the Midwesterner found a great deal of enjoyment visiting sunny, exciting SoCal. So much so that he assumed it would be a better place to live than his sleepy Midwest town. Once he’s made a case in his mind for relocating, it can be very difficult to challenge the perception of California (or wherever the location) that he has formulated. It’s beautiful, it’s warm, I love it, I’m leaving!

For a while, he’ll bask in the bounty of beaches and palm trees. He’ll marvel at his proximity to movie stars and brag about his distance from blizzards. But then he finds he’s gradually hitting the beach less often. The palm trees are blending into the background unnoticed. Driving in Hollywood no longer leaves him star-struck, it leaves him cursing the traffic gridlock. He has become habituated to his environment. A psychological phenomenon we’ve all experienced, where we gradually take things for granted and stop noticing that which once felt new and exciting.

What happens next to the Midwesterner seeking happiness? Despite habituation, has he found increased life satisfaction? Or, will he hop back on the hedonic treadmill of happiness hunting and hit the highway? The complexity of life satisfaction is influenced by so many factors beyond location. Does a move satisfy those factors or does it temporarily distract us from satisfying them?

Now I don’t mean to be a buzz kill. In many ways, I’m that Midwesterner. I craved the sunshine. Year-round gardening and a few backyard chickens. A short drive to both oceans and mountains. But I was also prepared for the change.

A client of mine—let’s call her Mary—made a similar move. She traded life in a large city for that of a mid-sized suburb in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Mary’s move didn’t hinge upon finding a better job market or escaping a bad relationship; she was seeking a community that shared her same values. She found what she was looking for in her new town. She was also prepared for the change.

So what does it mean to be prepared for the change?

It’s to know the root cause of what is calling us. It’s to know what we expect of the new location—what a move can and cannot provide when it comes to happiness. And it’s to know that moving is not easy. In fact, relocating and changing jobs are consistently ranked as some of the most stressful life events.

I don’t discourage moving but I encourage planning. Moving without planning can make a person unhappier than they were before they left. If the move doesn’t work out the person can find himself alone in a new place feeling like a failure and wondering what move to make next. I’ve been there and it’s no day at the beach.

Planning means exploring the depths of our motivation . Am I running away from something? Am I seeking a solution that a new location can or cannot provide? Am I attributing happiness to an external source when I should first be finding it within?

Planning also means understanding the factors that influence our life satisfaction and then making a realistic comparison between the existing location and the proposed location. Kind of takes the fun out of the moving fantasy , huh? Well, it might just help take the misery out of moving too.

Schkade and Kahneman write , “Nothing that you focus on will make as much difference as you think.” Below are many of the factors that we focus on which influence happiness and life satisfaction. Before deciding to move, gauge how each of these factors is influencing your current life satisfaction to the positive and negative. Then think about moving—what do you perceive will change and to what extent? Remember, satisfying change won’t simply happen to you as a result of moving; you still have to work hard to create it and sustain it.

• Quality of life at the neighborhood and community level
• Proximity to social support, family, and friends
• Ability to be productive, purposeful, and creative
• Sense of safety and trust in the community
• Perceived stress, worry, and anger in the community
• Number of negative experiences vs. positive ones
• Ability to make choices, achieve goals, and be self-reliant
• Promotion of health and wellness and access to healthcare
• Cost of living, socioeconomic stability and employment security
• Community alignment with personal values
• Access to learning and stimulating activities

Incidentally, some of the factors above have been adapted from the World Happiness Report . According to their 2014 ranking of happiest countries, 7 of the top 10 countries have cold climates and far less annual sunshine than California! They include Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Finland, and Sweden.

For all the research and all the preparation, there’s still a wondrous mystery to moving. Sometimes we simply have to satisfy the yearning of our wayfaring spirit, and no amount of advice will matter much when we feel the need to heed that primal call.

Copyright 2018 Brad Waters.

This article may not be reproduced or published without permission from the author. If you share it, please give the author credit and do not remove embedded links.

Brad Waters is a writer based in California with a background in social work and career consulting. He writes about the intersection of personal development and career development, with a focus on resilience, creativity, and the human-environment relationship. He holds a master's in social work from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's in English from Michigan State University.

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Why Moving To A New City Will Not Solve Your Problems

I’ve done a lot of moving in my adult life: Indiana, to Atlanta, back up to Indiana. down to Miami, back up to Brooklyn, and way over to Abu Dhabi. 

Was it a nomadic spirit and desire for adventure that led me to these places?

Of course not!

I was an escape artist. Every move was an attempt to escape mental health issues, broken relationships, jobs I hated, and (eventually) an ever-worsening drinking problem. 

So in an effort to help other people save themselves (and their wallets) from leading such a messy life, here’s my take on running from problems. 

How Moving Tricks You Into Thinking You’re Okay

Every time I moved to a new place or met a new group of people, my whole vibe changed. I was a new person, someone I liked, and others liked. 

You know the feeling I’m talking about. You meet a new person (or people), and there’s an attraction. The energy is there, and you are ON FIRE, honey! 

Everybody loves you. 

Instantly, you have a date lined up or some new friends to hang out with. When was life ever this delicious?

This new city is exploding with possibilities.

Every bar, every restaurant, and every event feels like exactly what you’ve wanted your entire life. You are excited all the time. You feel high.

It’s possible that you’re walking on air. 

Those nightly bottles of wine you were downing earlier? A thing of the past! The cigs you wouldn’t be caught dead without? You haven’t even bought a pack yet.

It’s a whole new you, world! Just watch out.

Be careful!

The fantasy you have of starting over is literally making you high . Our brains love novelty, and what greater novelty is there than new people and new places?

Don’t be fooled.

It can (and does) wear off. If you’re not prepared to deal with your “stuff” when the illusion drops, you will find yourself right back where you started.

What Should You Do When All You Want To Do Is Move?

Before you pack up your entire life and head for a new city or town, do some major soul-searching. Why do you REALLY want to move?

Are you running away or towards something?

There ARE good reasons to move.

Some examples of these might include a lack of job opportunities, cost of living, or poor schooling choices (if you have children).

Maybe you live in a small town and the social circle there is not good for you. Perhaps the literal environment is impacting your health negatively. If your safety is at risk, definitely seek ways to get out.

But what if none of those are the case for you?

Think twice if your move is being fueled by any of the following:

• An effort to beat an addiction without any other work
• A major falling out with friends
• Depression or other mental health issues

Moving After a Break-Up

After a breakup, especially a difficult one, your fight or flight instincts are sure to kick in. Before you do something drastic, ask yourself if it had ever occurred to you to move before this happened.

What motivated it?

If this break up puts your safety at risk, of course, do what you must. But if a broken heart is driving you to pack your bags, reconsider your choice carefully.

What You Can Do Instead

Take a vacation.

If you can manage it, get thee to a beach or cabin far away, turn off your phone, and let yourself breathe in some different air. Reset.

Maybe a trip home (whatever that means for you) is what the doctor ordered. Change your scene temporarily to see if that quiets the urge to book a moving van. Let a family member or close friend love on you for a bit. 

Break ups are emotionally draining experiences. You can’t bury that or run from it. 

And if you find that part of what is driving your desire to move is the fact that you’ve wrapped too much of your identity in this relationship, there’s a lesson to be learned. 

You are your own person. If you haven’t been behaving that way, then it’s time to start. Focus on your needs, not new places. 

Moving to Beat an Addiction

If you think the cure for your almost daily alcohol binge (or whatever your poison) is a new city, think again. Unless you live in a town where there is literally nothing to do except go to the bar, this is not going to work.

Trust me. I’ve done it three times.

It’s the same reason, so many New Year’s resolutions fail. The initial high of something new might get you by for a few weeks, but eventually, that old familiar urge will come back for you.

Something will go wrong, because that’s life. The rose-colored glasses with which you view a new place will inevitably break. Your resolve will weaken. 

How do you plan to manage that? Because it’s coming with you, my friend. Whether you like it or not.

Seek treatment. Find an Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous group. Show up to a meeting. If you’re able to, book an appointment with a therapist or counselor who specializes in addiction.

Not into AA or NA? Cool. There are a ton of alternative programs that will gladly welcome you with open arms. 

It may very well be that a change of scene is what your sobriety needs, but if you haven’t even tried to get help where you are, slow down a little.

Let’s be honest, the reason you drink has more to do with you than your zip code. Unless you start to unpack that, you’re not going to do better in a new place.

There is one caveat…

Sometimes our environment DOES contribute to our addiction. If you’re surrounded by people and situations that are not good for your recovery, of course moving might be the best thing. 

That’s not what I’m talking about. 

I’m referring to people who think that they drink exclusively because of external factors and if they can just get a fresh start somewhere, their drinking problem will magically disappear. 

Moving to Escape a Falling Out With Friend s

A lot of reasons for wanting to escape can be interconnected. It certainly was for me. I’ve lost a lot of friends because I was such a drag on them.

Instead of getting help or taking ownership of my life, I buried myself in alcohol. 

Nothing was my fault. Poor, poor me. Always the victim.

Hopping around from one city to the next, and “starting over” with new people doesn’t work in the long run. Eventually, the old you will show up and Godzilla-stomp what you’ve built.

So if your social circle has completely collapsed, take some time to examine why that happened.

If you’ve done something disastrous and find yourself alone on the periphery, nothing is really going to be resolved until you fix what you’ve done. Take responsibility. Be an adult. 

Give everyone space, including yourself.

If you’ve been wronged, look for new social opportunities. Take time for yourself.

If you are responsible, then own it and figure out a way to mend what’s been broken. Either way, there will be a time in the not-so-distant future when this won’t matter anymore.

Moving to Beat Mental Health Issues

Depression and anxiety are exhausting to manage.

It is understandable to think that starting over is a way to be done with it. You feel depressed and think a new city will help, and it might for a little bit. But unless you actively work on strategies to handle your depression , it will continue to plague you.  

There is no quick fix .

Although there is some evidence that new scenes can help improve a person’s quality of life, it is generally because of extrinsic factors like lower cost of living, proximity to nature, etc. Escaping depression can’t be the only reason you’re moving.

Much like with addiction, before you make any big life changes, give yourself a chance to work on what is actually wrong.

Find a counselor or therapist. Join a support group. Start going to the gym. Exercise alone can help manage your mental health issues . Why not give it a go?

Try to get yourself in a better place emotionally and then revisit whether or not a move is right for you when you can think more clearly.

You don’t have to figure this out on your own.

Soberish is proudly sponsored by BetterHelp . If you have tried (and failed) to find a qualified therapist who gets you , try BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month when you click the link below.

Moving to Escape Loneliness

This is another one I understand all too well.

You’re tired.

If you go on one more awful Tinder date, your head will explode. No matter how hard you try, you aren’t clicking with anyone these days.

Or maybe your best friend moved last year and nothing has been the same.

Ask yourself why moving will solve this problem for you. Does the reason you give sound practical? If a loved one came to you with this solution, would you support it?

Much like moving to avoid addiction or mental health issues, or a breakup, this desire to escape and start over is rooted in something much deeper.

If you don’t address it, it will follow you.

Before you give in to the little voice that says, “Woe is me. There aren’t any good guys/girls to date here. Everybody sucks,” ask yourself a better question.

Are YOU the problem?

If dating is your issue, have you tried not trying?

This seems counterintuitive, but it is the best advice I refused to take in my single days. Stop focusing on dating and focus on yourself and what you like to do. This is significantly more fulfilling than looking for “the one.”

He or she will show up eventually. Or you’ll stop caring one way or the other and be perfectly content with the fulfilling life you’ve built for yourself. 

Either way, you win.   

If friends are the problem, are you going out to social events that appeal to you? Have you joined groups that center around your interests? Maybe you’re not casting a wide enough net and choosing to hang around with people for superficial reasons.

Are you even a good friend to have?

I certainly wasn’t.

There was a time when all my friendships seemed to center around people talking me through my problems or listening to my drama. I rarely reciprocated. That’s not friendship; that’s therapy.

Evaluate what is really holding you back from connecting with others. Chances are there is work to be done there. Make it a priority.

Looking Ahead

I know it’s hard and that you might be dealing with some heavy issues right now. But avoiding your problems will never make them go away.

Believe me. I’ve tried.

If you’re interested in finding a community who understands what you’re going through, send a request to join the Soberish Facebook Group. Don’t worry. It’s a closed group and we respect everyone’s privacy.

Hope to see you there.

Soberish Founder

Hi! I'm Alicia, the creator of Soberish. I've spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober. Additionally, I examine the way mental and physical health as well as our relationships with others impact the reasons people drink and their role in maintaining sobriety long-term. I took my last drink on December 19, 2016.

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I’ve lived in southern Missouri for 18 years and still can’t stand it here. My husband and I would have left within 6 months of being here, but we had care of elderly parents and health issues with both of our sons. All of my longtime friends are in Iowa. I miss them, and the little family I have left. Some days I feel so lonely and depressed here. I never had problems meeting people and having friends until moving to southern Missouri. Also, this area is all about fishing, hunting and lake life which is NOT our life style. Iowa has so many activities we’re interested in. Are these legitimate reasons to move to Iowa? My husband just retired, so a move has to be done as economically as possible.

I think moving somewhere that better suits your interests, lifestyle, and economic prospects is perfectly fine! I know what it’s like to move somewhere you feel you don’t belong. I hope you’re able to make it to Iowa!

I have moved 14 times in 8 years since my divorce from an abusive spouse.. I do not have any addictions and have been in counseling. I moved the last time to where I thought was a place that met my needs as far as just a place with all the things on my wish list of activities and environment that bring me happiness, like gardens, trees, hiking , etc. But on one night I was sexually assaulted and again my my moving started over. I left my comfortable townhouse on the edge of the woods and my perfect job and ran back to Florida where I had some friends. But inside I am not content here . It is not my happy place and again feeling the desire to move. I even chose a rent month to month anticipating the idea that I may not stay.. but each time I move the costs are heavy and I have to restart my life again and look for work. I am older now and jobs are more difficult to attain. This article is good and I will think hard. Make a list of pros and cons and weigh it heavily. But my moving days are definitely coming to an end. Thank you for writing and helping us see the need to evaluate the risks of our behavior.

Great article thanks for sharing – I come back to wanting to move quite often like it’s the magic pill!

Thank you Alicia!

I guess you saved me a lot of money and time preparing to move to the wonderland where my mental illness and loneliness will be solved! Now I have mixed feelings: sadness and a little bit of relief. Sadness because I think I will be still stuck with..ME again! There’s no way out of my problems except by facing them here! Relief when I knew that I don’t need to have something (i.e. move to a new place to be happier) in order to feel enough or complete. I always thought by the time I arrive my destination country: I will be able to have more dates/a wife/better master degree/better job/peace of mind/ better culture/better people and…better ME!

Thanks so much for this. I’m always teetering on the edge of moving. I hate St. Louis (always have – nothing new) and want to move to where I wish to retire. But I guess you always bring yourself!

It’s true! I’m all for a change of scene, so long as it for the right reasons 🙂

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“Wherever you go, you take yourself with you.” ~Neil Gaiman

When I had the chance to relocate to Vancouver some years ago, the opportunity also came with the distinct need to try something new and leave my comfort zone . To be quite honest, I had also become frustrated with many things in my life at the time: work, friendships, relationships including family, and the general “noise” that I felt I couldn’t avoid.

I was beginning to lose my temper more easily. I found excuses to shorten visits with family and friends or to avoid visiting in the first place. Work seemed to have little meaning or fulfilment, regardless of the time that I committed to it. I felt that a new environment would be a great chance to grow, to try something new, and to enjoy being “anonymous” in a new place.

Sometimes we crave that idea, to wipe the slate clean and start over. And my new home 3,000km away was great. It felt fresh and fed my curiosity.

Being on the opposite side of the country gave me a tangible sense of distance from the things that were challenging to me. And being in an environment that offered me quick access to the ocean and mountains was quite healing.

Returning to my old home wasn’t something I seriously considered at all. Even with my visits back home for holidays and family celebrations in the first couple of years, I really looked forward to coming back to my new home.

Over time, though, I started to get the itch again. At the time, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but certain things about my new home were starting to chafe.

Some of the same behaviors started to surface again. I was beginning to lose interest in my work. Friendships were starting to fade, and I began to enjoy my solitude more and more. I would feel resentful at those around me who seemingly didn’t have the same concerns and seemed to “float along” through their existence instead of flailing against the current.

My visits back home were always enjoyable, but it became more difficult each time to leave. I began to really miss the family and friends who I had left behind. I was watching nieces and nephews grow up from a distance. The story that I had told myself over the years, that I was more of a solitary individual and didn’t need connections, was starting to feel more untrue every day. Eventually I made the decision to return home. Thankfully, it was an easy transition with my job.

When people asked me why I came back, I answered honestly that it was because I missed my family and friends, and the things that I had disliked about my home city when I initially left didn’t seem so bad anymore.

Being back home now for more than ten years, I have a different appreciation for my experiences . Travel allows me to explore and experience new things. I like revisiting places to see what I may have missed the first time around or to dive deeper into an experience that I really enjoyed. But I now understand that there’s a difference between traveling or moving for passion and doing either to escape myself.

When I chose to leave home I originally attributed my decision to external things that I found annoying, draining, or uncomfortable. But I now understand that it wasn’t things that were external to me that were causing conflict within me; it was my beliefs.

I’ve come to learn how things that trigger me are areas of my own beliefs and behaviors that need some reflection and healing. The lack of meaning in my work at the time, the seeming superficiality in everyday interactions with people, the frustration at getting distracted by the “noise” around me—these were all things I needed to look at inside myself honestly, to better understand what I could learn from them.

I realized that I only believed I was happier in my solitude because I feared opening myself up to other people. And I discounted other people’s efforts and achievements because I envied their drive and determination, and believed I wasn’t actually worthy of the attention or accolades because I felt like an impostor in my professional life.

Through acceptance, knowing that I am enough, forgiving myself, and truly appreciating the amazing people and experiences in my life, I have been able to change my outlook and approach to my life.

Finding the teaching in all those situations was huge for me. It made me realize that my attempt to change myself by changing my environment was well-intentioned but not the most effective way for me to grow.

Sometimes, changing your environment can give you that perspective you need to look at things from a different angle.

Sure, moving across the country pushed some buttons for me and made me very resourceful. It also pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a sense of bravery through anonymity. I see now how that perceived bravery was more of a desire to not be judged. It’s amazing how open you become to risk when you believe that no one “knows” you, that they have no history with you. You feel that they are seeing you for the first time.

The things that were my triggers merely traveled with me across the country. Even after moving, I still watched others around me building their lives while I felt stuck, and I still felt that I was not enough in friendships and relationships. As a result, I worked extra hard to fill those voids but didn’t feel worthy of the attention they drew to me.

For a while, I was able to avoid this truth because I distracted myself with the newness of my surroundings. I don’t discount the experiences that I had in my new home, but it’s clear to me now that my triggers would eventually resurface until I understood them better.

I now know that the better I understand, accept, and forgive myself, and stay curious, the more I can enjoy being wherever I am. Travel represents many things for me now: enjoyment, relaxation, learning, connections, and new experiences. But it is no longer the escape I once believed I needed to fix the challenges I was encountering. The better I know myself and the more authentic I am, the more I can enjoy being wherever I may roam.

I thank you for the time you’ve taken to read this, and I ask you to reflect on your own choices for travel and relocating and hope that you open yourself to the world inside yourself as well.

About Larry LeFebour

Larry LeFebour is a life skills coach, technologist, bread baker, and bass player. He is based in Toronto and enjoys helping people break out of old behaviors and challenge the stories they tell themselves. You can follow him on Instagram at @ breadbylarry , email him at [email protected] or on LinkedIn and visit him at  larrylefebour.com .

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Moving won’t solve your problems like you think it will

I moved to Morocco 6 months ago from the United States and I thought my life would change dramatically. I was obsessed with “antiwork” and the idea that we’re all cogs in a vicious machine, and that I was breaking out of the cruel cycle. I thought my obsession with work and finances would change, thought the rapid pace would change, thought my anxiety would change. In my mind, all of my issues were external. My relationships, my job, my city, the weather, the political state, the traffic. If I change those things, my life will improve… right?  Right? Please say yes.

But then I moved to a place that many would consider a beautiful vacation destination and… my problems stayed the same. Many problems massively increased. I brought with me my relentless pursuit of external validation, my anxiety, my social media preoccupation, and my insecurities. I was stressed out, but this time by the beach. I ended up realizing pretty quickly that moving won’t solve your problems, as it didn’t solve mine. I brought my problems with me, because they were reflected in my mindset and outlook, not in my location.

I think one of the things that attracts us so much to travel and relocating and wanderlust is not so much the travel, but the idea that we’re escaping what we perceive to be the roots of our problems. We think our problems are all external. But I think I’ve learned that there is no magical place that will cure your problems. Travel as a concept is just another form of consumption, and consumption can never substitute the internal work that needs to be done to find inner contentment and simplicity.

Unless you commit to the healing of your mental, spiritual and emotional health, you will not get better by moving to another country. You will not get better by buying a cottage in the woods in the middle of nowhere. There is no perfect place that solves all of your problems, and you’d be surprised at how many problems they have even in “better” places. In fact, there are so many people here in Morocco with so much less than we have in the United States by every conceivable metric, but their perspective is so much more grounded.

Honestly, now I find myself amazed at the things people in the U.S. find to complain about (myself included when I was there). There is so much unbelievable abundance in the states, and many people don’t even realize that they are complaining about things that people in other countries dream of having. Even things like clean water, environmental regulations, basic public services, sanitation systems, and access to healthcare. Yes, these things are expensive and complicated, but what if they disappeared?

We are planning a big move to another country in the next couple of months, and I catch myself going back to that same mentality. “Once we get there, we won’t have to deal with XYZ!” or “once we move, everything will get better!” But it won’t. Once again, moving won’t solve your problems if you refuse to work on them wherever you are. Relocating can’t cure anxiety and depression, no matter how tempting it is to hope that it will.

The human condition is pretty standard around the world. People work, go to the store, take a walk around the neighborhood, pay their bills, and complain about the government. If you aren’t happy where you currently are, you won’t be happy in [insert place you perceive to be better]. There’s nowhere in the world exempt from the normal day-to-day minutiae of life, and you will find variations of the same problem if you don’t change your perspective first.

Wherever you go, there you are.

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Great share! Everyone thinks moving will solve all their problems, but that’s not the case!

Jana Arevalo

Hi there! I love that you have written about this subject. As a military family, we move often. We all go through similar feelings of thinking everything will be different when we get there, or everything will be BETTER when we move out of where we are now. The problem is WE go with us. HA!

I also agree about your observations of how GOOD it is in America. We lived in Central America for a bit, and while America has its problems its nothing compared to life there. We were very happy to be able to see another culture, and learn from it. We were also very happy to come back to the States.

Great job and keep writing! The world needs your perspective. : )

Cori Dickess

You’re absolutely right! I have been in the same position before and thought if I got away from my problems life would get better. But what I really needed to do is work on my problems or my thoughts and then wherever I chose to live will be better than before. Only because of the work I did on myself! Great read!

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Here Is What Happens When You Run Away From All Of Your Problems

When you run away from your problems, it works. Initially.

There is a certain rush that comes from running – it’s the liberating realization that not all problems necessitate solutions. That not all queries require clarification. That not all of the puzzles we face up to with intensity and passion need be solved, settled and packed neatly away on a shelf – labeled “Fixed this” or “Figured out that.” We do not possess the patience or perspective that is needed to arrive at our solutions, so we instead take the easy way out. We run away. And it all seems as simple as that.

When you run away from your problems, you feel empowered. You are taking your life back by ignoring all the parts of it that do not particularly please you. Mess something up at your job? Not a problem. Fail at a meaningful relationship? No worries. Your problems don’t exist here in this new physical place that you’ve arrived at. Out of sight, out of mind, and for a while you can get off on the absence. You have new things to focus on. You’re thriving.

Except when you run away from all of your problems, you eventually start tripping. First over little things – the cute guy who asks you out but never texts you back. The interview you go to that you inexplicably tank. The things you’re running from don’t explicitly appear in front of you but linger just beneath your mind’s surface – cooing taunts at your newest undertakings.

The problem with running away is that we’re trying to apply a definitive solution to an indefinite, ongoing problem. We’re attempting to tie up the loose threads of our lives before we’ve detangled any of them. We’re putting a bowtie on a monstrosity. We all want resolutions as simple as purchasing a plane ticket, updating our “Current City” on Facebook and moving on with our lives, but we forget that our emotional ties run deeper than that. We forget that we can never fly far enough away from ourselves to escape what it is that lies unresolved within us.

Because the thing is, our issues aren’t imbedded in the places we leave behind or the people we no longer see every day. Our unresolved emotional clutter seeps into every facet of our lives, stealthily enough to remain eternally undetected. It’s the hesitation deep in your gut that balks when new opportunity arises. It’s the sense of self-doubt that creeps in when you’re challenged. It’s the same old pain of trying to write a new chapter without finishing the old one – you do not have a frame of reference to carry on forward. You’re trying to grab at something new with full hands and yet you cannot figure out why you keep dropping it.

J.K. Rowling once stated that “Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it,” And I find this to be largely untrue. Pain can be avoided almost entirely but the bleakness that accompanies avoiding it cannot. When you constantly run from the past, it wears away the present with a vengeance. You become afraid to love anything fully, live anywhere completely, invest yourself entirely in any new person or venture, for the underlying fear that eventually you are going to leave. That you aren’t going to stick around when the going gets tough. That you’ll be gone and with you will fade all of the sweet, unfinished memories, all of the plans, all of the careful devotions that you promised with uncertain lips. When you’re the person who runs away from everything, you don’t get to be fully present anywhere. You know you won’t be staying so you check out. You check out from everything that makes you the most alive.

When you run away from all of your problems, you eventually run from yourself. You forget the person you could be if you stayed in one place, worked through your downfalls, accepted your shortcomings and then overcame them. You forget that there’s a version of you who is reliable and passionate and strong. You lose the sense of pride you used to have from persevering.

Heidi Priebe

Heidi is the author of The First New Universe , The Comprehensive ENFP Survival Guide , and The Comprehensive INFP Survival Guide .

Keep up with Heidi on Instagram , Twitter , Amazon and amazon.com

This is me letting you go

If there’s one thing we all need to stop doing, it’s waiting around for someone else to show up and change our lives. Just be the person you’ve been waiting for.

At the end of the day, you have two choices in love – one is to accept someone just as they are and the other is to walk away.

We owe it to ourselves to live the greatest life that we’re capable of living, even if that means that we have to be alone for a very long time.

“Everyone could use a book like this at some point in their life.” – Heather

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• 5 Common Roommate Problems (and How to Fix Them) >

5 Common Roommate Problems (and How to Fix Them)

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I’ve lived with some pretty bad roommates. I’ve also, at times, been a pretty bad roommate myself. (Many apologies to my freshman year dormmate, who had to move mid-way through the first semester to “focus better on her studies.”) Sharing your living space with another person is not always easy, even if you otherwise have no problem getting along. It’s why good friends often make such bad roommates, and why schools like the University of Miami are requiring on-campus residents to sign formal roommate agreements in an effort to keep the peace and mitigate common roommate problems.

Of course, roommate problems aren’t relegated to college students. About 32% of U.S. adults have an adult roommate who is not a romantic partner or child aged 18-24. Plenty of people (nearly 79 million of them, to be exact) are dealing with roommates on a regular basis, and that requires navigating the tricky, sometimes unpleasant, territory that comes along with that. To help you out, we’ve gathered some of the most common roommate problems, along with actionable advice to help keep things copacetic.

Messiness or uncleanliness in shared spaces

Taking without asking, splitting up costs, the unexpected “third roommate”, noise complaints.

Nobody is perfect. Living comfortably with a roommate is always going to necessitate that you choose your battles and try to brush things off when you can. But if things ever do get to a point where you feel like you have to walk on eggshells or there’s constant arguing, it’s totally okay to chalk it up to a loss and look for a different situation. Life’s too short to deal with negativity more than you have to. Fortunately though, most common roommate problems can be solved with just a little bit of directness and communication. You’ll be surprised how much a simple conversation can fix.

Related Articles:

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• Renter’s Remorse? Here’s How to Get Past It
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Author: Laura Mueller

Laura Mueller is a professional writer with nearly five years of experience writing about moving. She is particularly interested in topics around organization, home design, and real estate, and definitely has a few tricks up her sleeve after moving eight times in eight years during her 20s. Laura believes that moving should be as stress-free of an experience as possible, and is always working on new tips and shortcuts that she can share with readers on Moving.com. View all posts by Laura Mueller

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How to Fix It When ‘Move to iOS’ Isn't Working

Network issues or storage space are the usual culprits

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Apple's Move to iOS app makes moving all of your data from Android to iPhone easy and complete, but sometimes the app doesn't work. This article explains how to solve it when Move to iOS isn't working.

Why Is the Move to iOS App Not Working? 

There are many reasons why the Move to iOS process is not working as expected. Some of the most common are:

• Network issues: If both devices aren't connected to the same Wi-Fi network or activity on your Wi-Fi interferes with the data transfer from Android to iPhone, Move to iOS can have problems.
• Storage issues: Switching from one phone to another involves moving a ton of data. If you're trying to move more data than your new iPhone has storage space, Move to iOS won't work.
• Transfer interruption: There are lots of things that can interrupt Move to iOS's data transfer: phone calls, devices going to sleep, automatic updates, etc.

How to Fix It When Move to iOS Isn't Working

If Move to iOS isn't working, try these steps—in this order—to solve your problems and move your data from your old Android to your new iPhone.

Plug in both phones. Transferring this much data takes a long time and drains the battery. If either phone runs out of battery, Move to iOS won't complete the transfer. So, make sure both phones are fully charged or, even better, plug them both in before you start.

Update to the latest OS . It's always smart to update both phones to the latest operating system before starting. That can help fix bugs and ensure you meet the Move to iOS requirements. Here are tips for updating Android OS and installing an iOS update .

If you want to transfer Chrome bookmarks, ensure you're running the latest version of the Chrome app.

Move to iOS only works properly when both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network . Before you start a transfer, check your connections (on iPhone, Settings > Wi-Fi ; on Android, Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi ) and connect to the same Wi-Fi network.

Make sure your iPhone has enough storage space. Transferring your data means moving a lot of files that can take up a ton of space. If your iPhone doesn't have enough storage for all your Android data—data stored on both the phone and SD card—Move to iOS won't work.

You should know how much total storage your new iPhone has (if not, check the iPhone's box). Assume iOS reduces your available storage by 5-10GB.

Before starting the transfer, Move to iOS will tell you how much data it will move. If your iPhone doesn't have enough space , transfer less data or delete data from your Android .

Keep Move to iOS open. Once you begin the transfer, Move to iOS needs to stay onscreen on both phones until it finishes. This means you can't use other apps or take phone calls. So, leave both devices alone until the transfer is done. Consider putting the Android into airplane mode and reconnecting to Wi-Fi before you start the transfer ( Settings > Connections > Airplane Mode and then Wi-Fi to reconnect). This will prevent phone calls.

Disable network-intensive Android apps. Some Android apps optimize or otherwise impact the network performance of your phone (such as Smart Network Switch and Sprint Connections Optimizer). Those can be great in day-to-day use but cause real problems for Move to iOS. Disable or delete those apps before starting your transfer.

Remove unneeded Wi-Fi networks. If Move to iOS still isn't working, try removing all Wi-Fi networks from your Android except the one to which the iPhone is connected. To do this, go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi . Then tap and hold on the networks you want to remove and tap Forget (on some versions of Android, you may need to tap a gear icon first).

Restart both phones. If your transfer won't start or won't complete, try the age-old solution to tech problems: restart! Restart the Android phone and restart the iPhone and then retry Move to iOS.

Reset your iPhone and start again . If Move to iOS got partway through the transfer before the process was interrupted or failed, you may find it hard to resume. This could be because you've got partial data hanging around on the iPhone, confusing the transfer process. In that case, you'll need to reset the iPhone to factory settings and start set up from scratch.

Contact Apple for support. Did nothing work so far? You've probably taken things as far as you can go on your own. It's time to bring in the experts. You can get support from Apple online or by appointment for help at your closest Apple Store .

Move to iOS isn't the only way to get data from Android to iPhone. There are other ways to move your data, including ways to transfer contacts , a tool to move WhatsApp messages , and tips on what content can move from Android to iPhone .

Depending on how much content you have on your iPhone, Move to iOS usually takes about 10-30 minutes.

If your iPhone won't connect to your computer , check the cable and 'Trust' your computer. If you're still having trouble, restart both devices and update iTunes, the operating system, and your driver software.

If your iPhone won't connect to Wi-Fi , make sure Wi-Fi is on, turn off Airplane Mode, and check the Wi-Fi password. If you still have problems, restart your iPhone, check for iOS updates, and reset your iPhone network settings.

To back up your iPhone to an external hard drive , go to Finder > Locations > your iPhone > Manage Backups . Choose a backup and select Show in Finder . In Finder, drag the backup to the external drive in Locations .

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Getting Ready to Move: 6 Common Problems and How to Solve Them

With our guide to managing unexpected moving problems, you’ll have all your bases covered so even if an issue does arise, you’ll know exactly how to handle it.

2. Inclement & Inconvenient Weather

Nothing can blindside planning a move like bad weather - we all know how unpredictable it can be! Even if you check the forecast every day leading up to the move and everything seems fine - an unexpected storm can easily pop up on the day of your move. Unless it’s an extreme weather event like a tornado or hurricane, you’ll likely want to press forward with your move.

The best way to deal with unexpected weather is to have a plan in place for any possible condition and be aware of what kind of policies your moving company has for bad weather. Here are our tips for dealing with common weather events:

Extreme Temperatures

Cold temperatures may seem like the only issue here; after all, who wants to move when you’re risking frostbite every time you step outside? But temperature can be just as unsafe in the summer months. It might seem ideal to be moving on a bright and sunny day, but that isn’t always the case. Once the summer sun starts shining, it can become unbearably hot and even unsafe quicker than you might expect.

If it is extremely hot or extremely cold to the point that there is an advisory in effect, you might be looking at a plan to reschedule. Otherwise, it’s important to make sure everyone is taking action to stay safe, as well as to keep your belongings protected. After all, extreme temperatures can damage sensitive items, too.

Intense heat can cause heat stroke, sun burns, dehydration, hyperthermia, and exhaustion. If it’s not so hot that you need to reschedule, just remember:

• Stay hydrated
• Wear sunscreen
• Dress in light-colored, lightweight clothing and layers
• Take breaks regularly
• Stay out of the sun when possible
• Move large and heavy items early in the day before the sun and temperature rise
• Keep temperature-sensitive items inside of vehicles with environmental controls

Freezing cold temperatures can cause frostbite and hypothermia. If the temperature is so cold that people are at risk of frostbite within minutes of stepping outside, reschedule your move. Otherwise:

• Check your car battery and make sure it is charged.
• Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle.
• Dress in layers
• Keep your feet, hands, and ears covered up and warm
• Have warm drinks on hand

Ice & Snow

Ice and snow on moving day can be an accident waiting to happen. Roads and walkways become extremely slippery, and snow-packed roads are both unsafe to drive on and difficult to traverse. You can easily plow and salt your own driveway, but if conditions are severe, the highways and roads may not be safe. If you feel confident enough to continue your move, or have no other option:

• Shovel and salt all walkways and your driveway.
• Dress in layers.
• Keep your feet, hands, and ears covered up and warm.
• Have warm drinks on hand.
• Keep temperature-sensitive items well-wrapped or place them inside vehicles with environmental controls.
• Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. 
• Before leaving, check weather and traffic reports so you can avoid dangerous areas and accidents.
• Drive slowly and carefully.
• Leave space between your car and the vehicle in front of you.

Fog can hinder your moving plans by decreasing visibility to no more than a foot in front of you, making driving impossible and carrying items in and out of your home dangerous. If it’s an early morning fog, the sun will typically burn it off as it rises and you can resume your move as planned.

Otherwise, work with your moving company to set up an alternate moving date. If you’re still set on moving, make sure to:

• Wrap items to prevent damage from moisture.
• Be patient.
• Employ all the safety options your vehicle is equipped with, such as fog lights or low beams, windshield wipers, and environmental controls.
• Try to avoid low-lying areas where fog will be more dense.
• Be mindful of animals and other vehicles on the road and be prepared to stop quickly.
• Leave extra space between your vehicle and the car in front of you.

Moving in the rain, while inconvenient, is not impossible. Keep these tips in mind:

• Check the weather report - some showers pass through very quickly, and you may be better off waiting 20 minutes for the weather to pass.
• To avoid slips and falls, wear shoes with good grip and put carpets, tarps, or towels down on the floor of your home.
• Cover loose items and cardboard boxes with tarps or plastic bags to prevent water damage.

Thunderstorms

Some storms pass quickly, but if you only have a short window and it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon, your best bet might be to reschedule your move. Otherwise, waiting until the storm breaks up is the only solution - torrential rain, hail, lightning, and strong winds can make moving extremely dangerous and damage your items. After you think it’s safe to start, remember these rules while moving in the rain:

• Wear shoes with a good grip and put carpets or towels down on the floor of your home (old and/or new).
• Cover loose items and cardboard boxes with plastic bags to prevent water damage.

3. Terrible Traffic

Movers have a lot of experience with driving, and many have access to GPS data that can help them find the quickest way to your new home and avoid traffic jams. If you’re managing your own move , you may want to invest in a GPS system and plan more than one route to your new place in the event that there is a traffic jam or an accident on the way. It’s good to keep in mind that even with this technology, you’ll likely encounter some traffic along the way, so try not to stress out about it. It’s inconvenient, but the traffic will clear and your move will continue as planned.

Accidents & Breakdowns

In the event that it’s your actual moving truck that breaks down or is involved in an accident, you’ll have to wait for a new truck to arrive and your items will have to be transferred to another vehicle. There is little you can do to avoid this scenario when planning a move, but there are actions you can take to limit the damage:

• Select a reputable moving company that has a protocol in place for these types of situations.
• Familiarize yourself with what the protocol is and what will happen to your stuff.

4. Issues with Your New House

Unexpected issues can pop up once you arrive at your new home as well. Most of them will have simple solutions and are easy to prepare for: 

• Have the contact information of your utility providers on hand in case there’s an issue with your electricity or gas, or if you forgot to have it connected. If you explain your situation to them, they should make connecting your utilities a priority, but it isn’t always possible.
• In the event that you’ll need to go a few days without electricity or water, keep an emergency kit that contains candles, flashlights, water, and nonperishable food items.
• Have the number of local handyman or your landlord in case there is an emergency with your new home.
• Keep some essential supplies readily available in case you run into snags or need to check into a hotel. Download our free printable Emergency Moving Kit and Essential Moving Day Items checklists below.

Other issues can require more effort. For instance, what if your furniture won’t fit through the door? Here’s what to do:

• Check if your furniture can be dismantled. If it can, all you have to do is take it apart and rebuild it inside your house. If it can’t be dismantled, you’ll need to find another way in, such as through the window.
• Measure all entryways and windows when you first start planning a move , even the second floor, to see if you can fit the item inside your house. This step may require hiring professional movers if you haven’t done so already. The graphic to the left shows you how to measure your furniture to make sure it can fit through your door.
• If it just isn’t possible, you’ll need to store the item in your garage or find a local storage facility until you can figure out what to do with it.

Parking can be another major issue when moving, especially into an apartment building or a house with no driveway. This can be inconvenient under the best of conditions, but if you’re working with professional movers it may even cost you! Hauling items from an inconvenient distance can result in a long carry fee. Here’s how to avoid it:

• Know the parking situation before you move and plan your move accordingly.
• If your new home or apartment doesn’t have a driveway or designated parking area for moving vans or trucks, reserve a parking space in a nearby lot.
• Talk to your neighbors about the parking situation and work it out with them. Many people will be understanding, having gone through a move themselves.

5. Bad Movers

There are several factors that can make for bad movers: they're inconsiderate or incompetent, they’re inexperienced or - worst of all - they're flat out scam artists. Bad movers can result in unnecessary delays, damaged items and property, emotional stress, and in the case of scam artists, even having your belongings held hostage until you pay an additional fee that was not part of the initial agreement.

The best way to deal with this frustrating scenario is to avoid it entirely. Follow these tips to make sure you book with a reputable moving company:

• Research moving companies carefully before making your selection, ensuring that they are licensed, experienced professionals.
• Read reviews - it's easy to get a feel for how well a company performs based on the experience of other customers, but remember to check more than one site and read with a critical eye. Some disreputable moving companies pay for fake positive reviews.
• Be skeptical of extremely low bids and avoid bids based on cubic footage rather than weight. This practice is illegal, and is often a good indication that this is not a reliable company.
• Get insurance - even after you've done the research, it never hurts to have a backup plan.

If you've already found yourself the victim of a moving scam, there are a few things that you can do:

• If the company has broken any laws, such as holding your stuff hostage (this is actually theft), local law enforcement can get involved and help you resolve the issue.
• Check out M oveRescue.com for more tips and advice.

6. Damaged or Missing Items

What do you do if you’ve started unpacking and discover a damaged item, or you’ve just finished and you have that sinking feeling that something is missing? This can be especially complicated if you’ve moved to a different city or state. There are several steps you can take before, during, and after your move to make resolving the issue of a damaged or lost item easier.

• Take an inventory of all of your items while you pack. If you’ve hired a moving company, they will often do this for you, but it doesn’t hurt to keep or make one of your own.
• If you are getting rid of items to lighten the load, keep an inventory of them as well. It’s easy to forget in the chaos of a move that you have actually given something away rather than misplaced it.
• Make note of any existing damage and take pictures of important or fragile items so you have an image to compare or show in the event it goes missing or gets damaged.
• Carefully wrap, package, seal and label fragile items.
• Pack one room at a time and label the boxes with their location and contents.
• Do a few sweeps of the house after everything has been packed up to ensure that nothing is being left behind.
• Keep your most important documents and possessions with you during the move.
• Check the truck personally to ensure all of the boxes have been unloaded.
• Number your boxes and don’t sign for them until after you’ve verified their delivery.

At this point, which course of action you take depends on what has happened to the item. If your item was lost or broken by a moving company, any reputable mover will take action immediately to help you recover the item or, if the original terms of agreement included moving insurance or compensation, cover the cost of the item or its repair.

If you acquired insurance independently, you will need to contact them separately.

Damaged items should be photographed and documented. If you can, determine the cause of damage.

For missing items, take the following steps:

• Double check that it isn’t still packed or that you haven’t accidentally placed it in the wrong box or room.
• Gather a detailed description and images (where possible) of the item.
• If you utilized a professional moving service, file a claim with the company providing the description and images. If you moved with the help of friends and family, share the description and image with them so they can search their vehicles and homes for the item.

Download our Printable Moving Day Checklists

Be prepared for anything on your moving day. Download and print off our moving day checklists and make sure you have everything handy:

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Moving to an exotic new country won’t solve your problems–but you should do it anyway

I moved to New Zealand from the US in the usual, time-honored fashion. First, I got rejected from every graduate school I’d applied to. Then I pulled out a calendar and contemplated spending another year in my soul-killing, $10-an-hour receptionist job. Then I started crying.

And then I had a lot of beer and sent a drunken email to my scholarly hero, a biographer whose work has been called “monumental” by The New York Times. He wrote back with a gracious and encouraging reply—so encouraging, in fact, that I decided to enroll in a master’s program at the New Zealand university where he is a professor.

I thought that moving to New Zealand would turn me into a new person—someone much more sophisticated and adult. Instead of staying up half the night guiltily clicking through slideshows of Britney Spears’ most daring outfits, I’d read only serious publications. I wouldn’t sleep in until 10 am; I’d get up at dawn to hike for hours through pristine countryside. I’d become so worldly and enlightened that American graduate schools would rue the day they’d rejected me.

  Instead, I moved to New Zealand and remained myself. But going there did help me shake some major illusions about what it means to be an adult.

Americans love to imagine that moving a vast distance will transform us, as if by magic, into better versions of ourselves. Apparently the behavior is so common among addicts that 12-step programs even have a term for it—“ pulling a geographic .”

Because it’s a beautiful and remote country that most of us have only glimpsed in movies, New Zealand serves as a convenient backdrop for such escapist fantasies. (It came as no surprise to me when, a few weeks ago, the entire internet seized on a false rumor that a small South Island town, Kaitangata, was offering to pay $160,000 USD to anyone willing to relocate.) The country seems to promise a simpler, slower way of life among hilly fields and flocks of sheep. And it also appeals to the specific liberal fantasy of living in a place so far removed from war that nuclear submarines are forbidden to visit.

Of course, there’s no such thing as paradise on earth. But parts of the year my husband and I spent moored in Auckland really were magical. We were newlyweds, and New Zealand seemed like a kind of extended honeymoon. On weekends, Chris and I would take the ferry across the harbor to Devonport, a sleepy tourist village with horse-drawn carriages and winding paths up North Head , a massive hill overlooking the gulf and Auckland’s Rangitoto volcano. Or we’d lay reading on a blanket in the city’s Prince Albert Park —giant trees all around us and the sky so big it seemed vaulted.

My academic idol turned out to be a fascinating and lovely man, and I taught under his supervision for a semester. With a wide-ranging syllabus, our weekly sessions were freewheeling and exhilarating: Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss, Art Spiegelman and Jane Austen.

But there were some major downsides. For one thing, we were broke. New Zealand is an expensive country, where a paperback book will run you $25 USD and a trip to the grocery store can lead to an encounter with a $10 head of cauliflower . We quickly blew through our savings and the money we’d received for our wedding—some $10,000—in part because the exchange rate kept moving against us.

We couldn’t afford more than a tiny, one-room student apartment (private bath, shared kitchen). And we were much too short on cash to travel outside Auckland—which meant the most beautiful, picturesque parts of the North Island, as well as the entire South Island, were out of reach.

Even more stressful than the cost of living was the remoteness of New Zealand—the very thing that had attracted me to it in the first place. When I’d pictured writing my thesis in New Zealand, I thought the isolation of living in the remote South Pacific would help me concentrate. I didn’t realize these same things would prove distracting —and that they’d drive Chris and me both a little crazy.

There’s an amazing (but scary) true story about Janet Frame, New Zealand’s greatest writer. In the early 1950s, she was being kept in a mental hospital on the South Island, and was just about to receive a lobotomy . Then her first book won a literary prize, so the doctors decided not to perform the operation. Not long afterward, she moved abroad, understanding that if she were to stay in New Zealand, she might get locked up again.

Unlike Frame, my own tendencies toward anxiety and depression were never misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. But I also found it hard to function normally in my adopted new home. The physical distance between New Zealand and the rest of the world made me feel as if all of life were taking place elsewhere. It was painful to scroll through Facebook and see photos of all my buddies going to parties I’d be attending if I were home. After reading my dad’s loving emails, I’d put my head down on my desk and sob.

Most distressingly, my mother-in-law back home was receiving treatment for cancer. We worried about her constantly, and being so far away naturally exacerbated that worry.

You might think the digital age would make living on a remote island less crazy-making. In the 21st century, Robinson Crusoe could have just texted his friends back home and made funny Vines while waiting for his rescuers to arrive. It takes milliseconds, not months, for messages to reach far-flung friends and family. But for me, having the people I loved so close and yet still out of reach made me feel more lonely—not less.

And so when Chris and I finally moved home at the end of the year, we both felt incredible relief. The entire 18-hour plane ride, we were giddy. We couldn’t wait to resume our boring old menial jobs and our sometimes-complicated family relationships. Our grand adventure had made us newly appreciative of the lives we had back home.

This wasn’t the first or the last time that I’ve made a big move in an attempt to take a shortcut into a whole new life. Immediately after college, I spent a year living and working in Singapore. And in 2013, Chris and I moved to Australia’s Gold Coast, staying there for two years in a not-dissimilar pattern of bliss and pain.

This behavior might seem troubling, as if I’m only dragging my cage from place to place even as I try to escape it. And sure, my wanderlust is motivated in part by deep-set, probably immutable personality flaws. I feel envious of literally everything —not just other people and their lives, but other countries’ mountains, trees, and even smells. And I covet every adventurous experience, no matter how terrible or grueling. Watching Tom Hanks in Castaway , I thought, “Hey, this looks exciting. Let’s fire up the laptop and see if Expedia has a package deal.”

But my desire to try out new places also comes from a real thirst for adventure, change and transformation. As the travel writer J. Maarten Troost puts it, “The desire to experience the far side of the world reflects the optimistic hope that a little skull-jarring dissonance could stir the soul.”

Living in New Zealand shook up my worldview in just the way Troost describes. It was liberating to separate the fantasy of the country—and of my mature, independent New Zealand self—from reality.

By now I understand that no place will ever be a cure-all for my problems. But I still haven’t quite learned my lesson. Earlier this year, I tried to convince Chris to leave our home in Virginia and relocate to Malta. “Picture this,” I crooned. “The blue Mediterranean, ancient ruins, and Rome just a quick flight away!”

Unfortunately, he said no. But I’m still working on him.

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Problems when moving and how to solve them

Moving is stressful. There are so many things that can go wrong. For this reason, you should plan well, organize well, and find reliable  moving companies Henderson NV . However, if your plan is flawless, you still may encounter some difficulties. You should not feel discouraged as here you can find the most common problems when moving and how to solve them.  

Avoid the most common problems when moving  

Without further ado, let’s start.  

• The house is not ready – prevent it if you can. If not, then book a hotel or stay with friends and family.  
• Not planning – do not make this mistake. You should always plan well. Otherwise, you will not find good  moving services Las Vegas or move properly.  
• Getting scammed – it is extremely important to find reliable movers. You can do this by checking their credentials, information, license, track record, and moving reviews.  
• Injuries and accidents – you can easily prevent injuries and accidents. Gather proper moving equipment and packing supplies. Additionally, hire professionals.  
• Missing items – there is almost nothing worse than losing items. Hire reputable professionals and pack properly.   
• Damaged items – another horrible scenario. The solution is the same as the one with missing items. Additionally, use bubble wrapping.  
• Lack of packing material – gather the material on time.  

There are even more problems to solve  

Unfortunately, the list continues with the following problems when moving.  

• Not having enough time – plan ahead and be very practical. In addition to this, be efficient when packing.   
• Losing personal documents – it is a huge problem when you lose your passport , financial details, and birth certificates. Again, start packing on time and place all of your personal documents in one box.  
• Pests – check your new house or storage before buying/renting. If you see pests, call professionals.  
• Pets – pets are not exactly a problem but it can be hard to move with a pet. For this reason, make sure to keep their routine and safe on a moving day.  
• Special packaging – this can be easily solved. Ask your movers for the special boxes or visit the store where they sell your item.  
• Elevator troubles – schedule the date when you need the elevator or use stairs carefully.  

The last moving troubles  

This is where the list ends with the following problems.   

• The moving truck broke down – ask for a replacement and file a complaint afterward.  
• Extra trips – find an affordable moving company. In addition to this, you can downsize before your move so you will not need extra trips.  
• Overpacking – do not overpack as this can lead to damage. Either declutter or get more boxes.  
• Essential items – pack them in one special bag or box that you will bring with you.  
• Utilities – make sure to set up utilities on time. Otherwise, you will spend a couple of nights in dark.  
• Not informing people of the move – change and inform people about your residential address.   
• Theft – make sure to seal the boxes properly. In the case of theft, notify movers and call the police.  

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12 Common Moving Challenges and How to Solve Them

Moving is rarely easy. Things can go wrong and they often will, especially when you’re dealing with a lot of items and if your new home is far away. Thankfully, it’s possible to minimize and even eliminate the delays and hiccups that can happen during the move.

The key is to identify the most common challenges that come with moving and knowing the solutions for them well ahead of moving day. Of course, if you can give yourself some time before the move, all the better. Here are some of the most common moving challenges and a few tried-and-tested ways to solve them:

1. Moving large, bulky, or awkwardly-shaped items

Some large and bulky objects may be impossible or impractical to disassemble. You may want to hire movers with specific expertise in moving those items. For instance, if you have a nice vintage Steinway & Sons grand piano, you should consider hiring reliable piano movers or similar moving specialists.

On the other hand, if the items can be safely disassembled, make sure to do so and to pack each of the components securely. If you have trouble remembering how the parts go together, you can take pictures to document your disassembly to make reassembly at your new home easier.

2. Movers don’t pick up or drop off your stuff on time

Moving day is bound to get busy. And when movers arrive late to pick up or drop off your stuff, it can throw off all your well-laid plans for the day, and possibly the next.

Talking to your movers before the move is important to set expectations and to ensure no miscommunication happens. If you need them to come at specific times, make sure they know. Ask them to repeat the details to you so that you’re sure they don’t think they can just show up whenever. It also can’t hurt to ask for their confirmation in writing as well.

3. Stuff gets lost, mishandled, or broken

This is regrettably unavoidable if you hire amateur movers or neglect to give sufficient time for the move. Most of the time, however, this happens when you fail to take an inventory of the items you’re asking the movers to transport. Poorly organizing items or mislabeling the boxes they’re stored in may also lead to things getting misplaced during the move.

If you value your possessions, always hire the best professional movers you can. Whenever possible, you should take some time to organize items before the move, according to the rooms they will be occupying. That way, when it’s time to unpack, you will have fewer problems getting all your stuff where it needs to be.

4. Your furniture won’t fit your new house

The difference between just getting your buddies to help you move and hiring professional movers is that the movers will have spent countless hours solving this very problem for thousands of people. If there’s a way to make a piece of furniture fit, they can make it happen.

But while professional movers have techniques for getting your furniture in the places you want them, there is a limit to what they can do. When you’re checking out your new home, always take a tape measure with you to see if your furniture can fit in the rooms you need them to be in.

5. Needing a separate storage space separate from your home

If your new home cannot accommodate all of the stuff you don’t want to get rid of, hiring a storage unit that’s a comfortable distance from your new home can be a handy solution. Just make sure to find a storage unit well in advance so that there’s no need to temporarily store your belongings at your new house. Your movers could just take your items straight to your unit.

6.) Handling utility hook-ups and shut-offs

Talk with the utility providers servicing your previous home and your new home. You want to be sure that the lights, gas, water, and internet are cut off at your old house the day you leave. At the same time, you at least want your lights and water to be ready as soon as you arrive at your new home. If you have a job that requires an internet connection at your house, you’ll want to make sure that your ISP can hook you up the moment you’ve moved in, so that you won’t have to lose any productivity.

7. Car trouble

Make sure to do comprehensive maintenance on your car the month before you move. Not only do you want to avoid car trouble on the way to your new home, but you also may not have time to go to a mechanic in the first few weeks of your transition. Taking care of any potential issues with your car before they arise can prevent unnecessary delays and aggravation during your move.

8. You have more stuff than you want to move

Sell, donate, and otherwise safely dispose of everything that you’re not planning to take with you to your new home or a storage unit. Consume or throw away all perishable food items before the move and ask your local waste disposal services for advice on how to dispose of any old paint cans, petrochemicals, and other volatile or potentially toxic substances in your house.

9. Caring for pets

Make sure you have the appropriate carriers, supplies, and vehicle space available before you make the move. Book accommodations at pet hotels and similar facilities if needed.

10. Caring for family members with special needs

You’ll want to look up the facilities near your new home that could address the care of your special needs family member. If they will be requiring care or a check-up as soon as you move in, make the necessary arrangements before the trip.

11. Moving artwork and fragile items

If you have valuable artwork, you can consider contacting a service that specializes in transporting fine art. However, there are now plenty of excellent products for packing artwork and other fragile items that you can use. If you prepare your items properly ahead of time, there should be no issue using any highly-rated moving service.

12. Moving regulated equipment

If you own certain types of tools, firearms, and other equipment that may be regulated at the state level, you will need to inform the relevant offices of your move. This is especially important when you are moving to a different state which may have laws different from that of your home state.

We hope these tips will make your move smooth and stress-free. By knowing the common problems that often happen when moving, you can better prepare yourself for what might be one of the most important events in your life. Good luck and happy moving!

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