I moved from London to Melbourne – with two suitcases. I’d like to think it was because I was brave. Or because I’m firmly rooted in the yogic practice of not being attached to worldly belongings. Or because I’m that flexible. But none of this is true.
My partner and I couldn’t pay for the shipping of all our things. And we also didn’t feel it was justified to pay a few hundred dollars to ship an Ikea sofa worth one hundred pounds to the other side of the world. And admittedly, we did have a few glasses of wine when we decided to “just throw some items in our suitcases, and go!” Red wine makes brave and adventurous. Until the next morning.
This is our third continent – and we’re finally getting better at the art of relocating!
Now we’re about to move again, albeit only to another Australian state. But after 6 countries on 3 continents, there are a few things I’ve learnt. And I’ve learnt them from repeatedly getting them wrong:
- Try to assess the value of each item according to where you’re heading, not where you are at the moment. I took four pairs of designer sunglasses. They look fabulous when strolling down Kensington High Street. What I didn’t realise is that none of them are polarised and are therefore completely useless in Australia.
- Don’t start by trying to figure out what are the things you might get rid of. If yours is an average household, this will take too long, and it will be too painful. Start instead by piling up items you cannot live without. And by that I mean: Those you cannot live without. These might include your paperwork, such as work history, degrees, professional qualifications, bills as proof of past addresses, bank statements. Don’t be shocked by how heavy paper is and make sure you leave room and weight allowance in your hand luggage for some folders – you don’t want to be paperless in case your luggage gets lost.
- A common advice is to scan everything instead of taking originals. Make sure you know what is common practice in your new home country. Australia requires certified copies for almost any administrative procedure, which means you need to present the original to an authorised body (“justice of the peace”) who will then certify the copy. No original, no certified copy you could use.
- As a next step, pack your personal items such as photos, your laptop – and what the fashion world would describe as “essentials”, such as three pants, two shirts, underwear, a few t-shirts, belts, and about three pairs of shoes. Only take things that match. And only take those items that fit perfectly. Yes, perfectly. Not the pants that most of the time you avoid wearing because they’re just a tad too tight. And not the pants that fitted five years ago. Your wardrobe will be small and you want to avoid going on a shopping spree right at the beginning, just because the colours don’t go together or your only pair of boots doesn’t go with the two skirts you took. You’ll be too busy finding a flat, opening a bank account and hitting the ground running at work to waste time shopping.
Maybe that’s not all you need. But almost.
- Eliminate cosmetics. They add weight, can easily be bought at your new destination and might spill in your suitcase. I don’t mean throw them out, but as soon as you know you’ll be leaving, stop buying. In the ideal world, you’d end up with a travel kit and maybe something that I call a “comfort product”, for example a bronzer or some face shimmer (if it hydrates, you kill two birds with one stone). Think of all these times you’ll look at yourself in the mirror in the airplane or airport rest rooms. Relocation is a period of transition during which I always felt very vulnerable so I decided it’s perfectly okay to put a layer of shimmer or bronze on my face.
- Check the climate carefully. Ironically, I got rid of stuff I should have taken. To my uninformed mind, Australia didn’t really have any winter to speak of, and winter clothes were therefore not needed. Turns out that winter mornings in Melbourne can be chilly, with temperatures as low as 4 degrees.
- Check immigration and customs rules. Some items we don’t think twice about when packing can be an issue. Anything made of wood, anything that contains animal products, and even a piece of fruit in your handbag can add a few more hours at the airport, trying to explain to the customs officer that you “really didn’t know”. And all this after a 25+ hour plane journey.
- Before you book your plane ticket, check luggage allowances carefully. Some airlines, among them British Airways on certain routes, apply the same weight restrictions to cabin baggage as to check in baggage – which means they let you take way over 20kg on board! Sometimes paying more for a ticket with a different airline will be cheaper than getting a cheap ticket with an airline that will make you pay dearly for every kilo you’re over.
- Finally, continuously remind yourself that you’re not attached to the items, but to the memories they evoke. Keep the memory alive in spite of getting rid of the actual item. Don’t mistake items for memories. The memories are weightless, and can be recalled any time. They’re not lost if you throw out stuff.
- Allow yourself to cry. You will cry. You will shout at your partner. You might have a break down. But in the end, a year later, you won’t be able to make a list of all the ‘crucial’ things you had to throw out or give to charity. I guarantee that you won’t even be able to list five of them. That’s how crucial they really were. Not that it’s a matter of weak memory. For example, I remember quite a few details from these last days in London. It was exceptionally hot. The walk to the charity shop took about 20 minutes, and I didn’t have a car. There was no bus where we lived. I stuffed everything in these large, yellow Ikea bags you can buy for 20 pence at the cashier, and I made about ten trips with two bags each (it was so much, I had to spread the stuff between numerous charity shops, the public library, and recycling containers in several places to avoid looking suspicious). The plastic handles were cutting into the shoulder flesh, and I was sweating a lot. Now, what was in these bags? I cannot remember. And this is really the only thing to bear in mind. (Shamefully, I also have vivid memories of getting aggressive, whiny, and depressed, in that order – but feel free to skip that bit!).
Looking at it from a philosophical angle, relocating with two suitcases taught me a powerful lesson. It taught me that everything in life is impermanent, and that if we cling to outer shapes, we are attached to something that is bound to vanish. We identify with something external and give it a sense of self. But I’m not my books. I’m not my clothes. No, I’m not even my kitchen items (ahem).
And this is why they can be left behind.
What’s your experience with relocating?
Categories: Happiness, Inspiration, Travel, Yoga
Yoga & Joyful Living 
Moving to another continent sounds like a dream come true! I’ve always wanted to go to South America! ❤ I hope someday I will do it! Thanks for the post! Thumbs up!
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There’s something special about the two suitcase rule! I packed two suitcases from Perth to Melbourne last year & when I went back to Perth last week, there was little I wanted/needed to bring back to Melbourne! The next move will be a total breeze for you!
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Thank you, I hope you’re right! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Perth yoga scene – is there anything you think I should check out? You can also email me at andrea@andrealeber.com. All sorts of tips much appreciated! Enjoy Melbourne, fantastic city 🙂
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Been there too. We moved from Liechtenstein to Buffalo and back again. A great adventure I never want to have missed.
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Oh wow, what an unusual move! And you’re right, moving and leaving things behind is a great leap and a wonderful adventure!
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I would have no problem to move back again… no matter what. I loved it a lot over there. Our time was limited due to my husbands engagement for his company.
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Reblogged this on Judel.
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“Allow yourself to cry” – love this! So true. I was a blubbering mess when I moved to Perth from the UK but it was the best decision i’ve made to date. Fab post!
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Thank you so much, really looking forward to discovering Perth – anything I shouldn’t miss? Any help from an insider much appreciated! 🙂
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The beaches are amazing all along the coast so be sure to see as many as you can! Kings Park is a must for the view, Rockingham wild dolphins swim is absolutely brilliant and you get to see some lovely bays. And of course Rottnest Island! Be sure to hire a bike and cycle round 🙂
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Wonderful post!
Relocating is always a lot of work and exciting and can be overwhelming, so keeping a cool head is the most important bit for me (and I’ve done this twice already now).
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It does get easier, but then – it never gets “easy” I suppose…. We’re currently working hard at throwing things out or better, finding new owners for unwanted items. It’s stressful but also fun 🙂
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Wow. I am in awe 🙂 I have moved, quite a few times, but each time I packed every damn thing up and brought it with me. It really would not occur to me to leave my things behind, especially my books and kitchen equipment. Mind you, I have never moved so far that a truck couldn’t accompany me, so that’s probably a different story.
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That’s the thing. Once the plane got involved I *really* didn’t know what to do anymore…. It’s painful but doable and in the end actually has quite a few advantages (you can start buying again – nooo just kidding!)
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Yep, the plane kinda complicates moving, doesn’t it?
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I came to Australia with one suitcase, thinking I’d head back and pack up the flat later… But that ended up falling on my poor family’s shoulders! What have I learnt? There is incredibly little I would choose to live without, and there’s a whole load of stuff we buy only when we feel something to be missing.
Whenever I go home, I think I’ll bring more stuff out with me, but it doesn’t ‘suit’ me anymore. Every time I buy something now I wonder if I’m creating the same heap here!
I also learnt that you can only get rid of things when you’re ready. And when you’re ready, it’s SO much fun!!
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Oh, you’re making such an important point: we only buy things when we feel that something is missing. That’s really the key: every time I’m tempted I ask myself: why do I want to buy this now and why do I feel I need this item? It’s a path of self discovery.
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It is indeed, and cheaper…unless you actively throw in the towel in introspection occasionally 😉
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Great piece! I had a similar experience going from Canada to Melbourne….I landed in early September and the first thing I purchased was a coat!
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I know! And I couldn’t find one because I arrived end of July and all they had in the shops were clothes for the Australian summer!
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Shouting at your partner? Andrea…. That is not very yogic…. 😀
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I’m a yogi in training, after all 😉
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Great article, even if you’re not moving to another continent! I especially like your tip ‘remind yourself that you’re not attached to the items, but to the memories they evoke’. I have 6 boxes full of stuff/crap that I just couldn’t get rid off before. I think I’m going to change that. Thank you!
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True, it doesn’t need to be another continent, somehow to me every move across a border feels like it’s a big move. Six boxes doesn’t sound very much though, you seem to be very organised!
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hahaha thanks, mmm maybe it’s more than 6 come to think of it.. 😉 but all full of old things.. very old things. I think I’m going to through them away as soon as I’m back home again. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration!
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Loved it! So true. The one I love the most is: “remind yourself that you’re not attached to the items, but to the memories they evoke.” My aunty told me that when I was coming to live in Australia from Brazil. I wanted to bring so many things with me and when she said that I changed my way of packing the bags…
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wow that is such a huge move!!! I think you will love melbourne my ex boyfriend actually studied abroad there and fell in love with Australia. You are so brave for taking such a major life changing leap. Wish you all the success in the world.
http://www.batelmiller.wordpress.com
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Thank you, that’s very kind. It does feel like an adventure for sure!
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