I Moved 3,256 Miles Away—4 Moving Tips I’ll Never Forget

Before relocating from the U.S. to the U.K., I thought I understood moving. But turns out, I had only scratched the surface.

While I was lucky to grow up stationary in one place, I was constantly packing and unpacking once I left for college. From dorm rooms to temporary apartments for summer internships, I didn’t slow down until I finally graduated and settled into an apartment in Manhattan with my now-husband. 

Over the next seven years, we moved three more times. We carried our sofa along crowded avenues, hauled boxes up multiple flights of steep stairs, and lugged them all back down again when new cross streets eventually called to us.

I learned to carefully wrap wine glasses with newspaper and discovered the art of using dish towels and masking tape to keep mirrors from cracking.

Then, we agreed on an international move—and suddenly, everything I thought I knew felt inadequate. While I could still pack a box with the skilled efficiency of a 90s kid playing Tetris, there were so many more things to consider.

Sure, there was the general threat of metric system conversions and needlessly adding a ‘u’ to words like colour and humour, but this move felt existential and major in a way I hadn’t faced before.

It wasn’t until we were physically in London, waiting for our life to arrive via cargo ship, that I realized just how much I’d learned about the art of moving—both in terms of packing and in starting over in a new, unknown place. These are some of the most memorable moving lessons I learned with some wisdom to share with anyone taking on a move, big or small.

When Possible, Downsize First

Our move abroad was a process that required about a year of advanced planning. We had built a life in New York City—it was full and hectic and packed with stuff. As soon as we wrapped our heads around the fact our life was officially changing, we decided our first step was to downsize.

We decluttered and cleared out like we never had before, and it was a transition that almost felt like a trial run for the real thing. Years before Marie Kondo was cool, we asked ourselves what do we really need? What can we ditch in the name of saving space? What should we plan to upgrade or replace upon arrival?

This whole process was as overwhelming as it was cathartic, but I was grateful for the gift of time. No decision felt rash or rushed, and later, it made unpacking easier, too. I’ve tried to carry this mentality into every smaller move we’ve made since then.

Treat Delivery Dates Like a Rough Estimate

Once all the messy logistics of moving to London were finalized—contracts signed, visas sorted, flats leased—it was time to coordinate a reunion with all the things we’d boxed up and stored away to be shipped to us from the U.S.

With the keys to our first London home in hand, we were told to expect our cargo shipment in “about six weeks.” I pictured all our items wedged together in their boxes, nestled in a container as they floated across the Atlantic, and I marked the proposed date on our calendar.

In the meantime, we picked up a few necessities, figuring we could get by on an air mattress and a pop-up garden table until our actual bed and kitchen set arrived. In theory, that was true, until our original arrival date passed. Then, the new date passed, too. 

This happened a few more times. It was tedious and frustrating, but it’s another lesson I’ve held close. We’ve hired movers on every subsequent move, but I always pack a few suitcases of the things I don’t want to find us stuck without.

From toiletries to valuables, to my kids’ school uniforms and our phone chargers—anything that would be a pain to lose stays with me.

Measure Twice, Then Measure Again

Every time we moved, starting with that first apartment in NYC, we dealt with space issues. Urban homes are just a little bit wonkier, and even if the square footage is the same or bigger, we’ve learned a funny layout can cause new headaches.

This was all manageable enough in Manhattan—things could be easily returned, sold, or passed along to friends and family. But an international move meant whatever we shipped over was ours to keep and figure out.

There were no easy returns or solutions, as we almost learned the hard way when we were so insistent our sofa had to fit that it got jammed and temporarily stuck in our new entryway.

After we exhausted all the ‘pivot!’ Friends jokes we had in us, we agreed we should have more carefully mapped out our plan. Since then, we are more mindful of what’s coming with us and where things will go in our new home.

Big Moves Take Time

Before moving to London, we spent a year in France. It was an eye-opening time, but it was all temporary. That made it easy to dismiss any culture shock, but in my mind, London would be different. London was going to be our real life, for as long as we wanted.

As soon as we arrived, I was desperate to speed through the uncomfortable settling in period. I wanted to get to that moment where I didn’t have to second-guess myself during errands that would have been routine back home. I was tired of feeling exhausted while simply looking for ingredients at the grocery store. 

Then, one day, it happened. About two years into living here, I realized the fog had cleared without my notice. Things that had once felt culturally confusing didn’t cause me to blink twice, and this, I think, is true of any major move—be it across an ocean or county lines.

What’s uncomfortable now isn’t a sign you made the wrong choice. It just means you might need a little bit more time before it feels like home.