I know everything going on in the world is a bit crazy right now. On top of changing political climates in North America, I’ve had a big change recently in my personal life as well: moving back to Toronto. You may have noticed I mentioned this upcoming transition in my last blog post and recently shared some pictures on Instagram. I’ve been in Toronto for about a week now, and though I’m still just getting settled, I thought this was the perfect time to share more about the move itself. Moving cross-country can be extremely daunting, so I want to share some tips about how to move cross-country without losing your mind in the process!

Before diving too deep into a step-by-step process, the first and most important thing to figure out is what transportation you will be using to move. Are you driving or flying? I’ve now done both during a cross-country move. Driving is definitely easier, as you have a lot more space to bring items with you during your move, and can even choose to rent a u-haul if you need extra space. For this most recent move, I decided to fly cross-country, so that is what the majority of these tips will be focused on. I flew with two suitcases, a carry on and a personal item – so it is possible to make the full move by flying. Now, let’s dive in to my tips and the exact steps you’re going to need to take to NOT lose your mind while moving.

Step One

Start early. I promise you can never start early enough. I gave myself close to a month to do this entire process, and it still felt like I was cutting it close. The earlier you can start preparing/packing, the easier it is going to be for you – and the smoother the entire process will be.

Step Two

Declutter the hell out of your stuff. I did as much decluttering as I possibly could, since I knew I had limited space to bring items with me. I went through everything and sold what I could, kept what I felt I needed in storage (at my moms house), and donated what I didn’t need. And truthfully… I should’ve done even more. The less you have to bring with you in your move, the easier it will be! Embrace the minimalism as much as you can.

Step Three

Make lists of what items will go where. What is going in your checked bag/larger luggage? What about carry-on items? This helps to visualize how much you have, determine where it will fit, and make sure you are bringing everything you need. As a visual person, this helped me a ton. Check off your list as you go when you are packing – this does double-duty to make sure you’ve got it all. (This also works if you are driving: where exactly in your vehicle is each item/box going? Write it down and check it off.)

Step Four

Trial run time. If you can, try actually packing your suitcase. I was packing things in and out of there in the two weeks leading up to my move, because I had to make sure everything would actually fit. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t.) I also started packing my carry-on a week in advance. (You can even trial run packing a car, and possibly u-haul too.) Doing a trial run ahead of time really will make things easier in the long run.

Step Five

Weigh your suitcase as you pack, not the day before you need to leave. This was a mistake I did make, despite my mom telling me I should weigh my suitcase much earlier on. I decided to leave it to the last day, when I was certain I had everything I needed in it… And lo and behold, my suitcase was WAY over weight. This meant I had to take a lot of items out and essentially re-pack it, causing me to waste a ton of time. I wound up needing to bring an additional suitcase to fit all of my items, and make sure I didn’t get charged overweight fees for my flight. So, allow my mistake to serve as a lesson for you: weigh your suitcase in advance!!

Step Six

Consider shipping small boxes if needed. If you couldn’t tell by my focus on “make sure it fits,” not all of mine did. (And this was even before I needed a second suitcase.) I wound up deciding to ship two small boxes for the kitchen and home items I wanted to bring, that wouldn’t fit into my suitcase or carry-on. Canada Post has the option for you to do so with pre-sized boxes, but you have to make sure you adhere to the weight requirements. They worked well for me, and I’d recommend looking into it if you’re tight on space and have a few extra things you need to bring with you.

Step Seven

You can always bring more later, or re-purchase once you’ve arrived. Despite allll of my talk about making things fit, I knew that I was coming back to BC within a month’s time, and was confident I could move the rest of my things back to Toronto then. Of course, it is to be determined whether or not this plan will work… However, I’m optimistic! Re-purchasing items is always an option too. Though it may not be the most friendly option to your wallet, sometimes it is simply not worth the hassle to bring certain items with you, if you could simply re-purchase once you arrive. Just another option to consider when prepping for your move!

So there you have it, friends. Start early, declutter, visualize and do a trial run, weigh bags in advance, and consider shipping boxes or repurchasing non-essentials once you arrive. Though moving cross-country is always a big feat, following these tips helped it go fairly well for me, all things considered. I only lost my mind a little bit, so hopefully these tips will help you not lose yours at all! Let me know in the comments YOUR take on how to move cross-country without losing your mind, and if there’s anything I missed! 😃