This is the dreaded day when real moving occurs! You would think four major moves across the country (Denvers, Scottsdale, Indianapolis, Asheville) in the past three years would make moving easy, and it certainly improves the process. However, I've never worried about the big ticket items since we were just going to flats. Gigantic home (in my mind) purchased.... and the real move commences. This involves the large bedroom set items and upright piano, among other larger pieces in the Indianapolis storage facility as well as the baby grand, pinball machine, and such from the Indianapolis condo. This is only the start of the journey, with a trip in the largest truck I've ever sat in, let alone driven, over to Ohio to my in-laws for some lovely family heirloom furniture, and then dropping down into Asheville after eight hours of driving, braving the Smokies. I now understand why Eric wanted to go through New Mexico instead of across the Rockies through to Utah when we moved to Scottsdale!
Let's discuss the truck. This thing is huge with a 26 foot box. The hydraulic brakes makes me feel like I'm a train conductor, and so far, I have managed to dampen my vast intimidation with the idea that I'm driving a locomotive. There's nothing I love more than starting the engine and releasing the parking brake (all those funny hydraulic sounds), and then of course setting the brake. I was initially truly terrorised at the idea of driving it and for several hours I toyed with a friend's offer to take his holiday time and drive it for me. However, now experienced in the art of large sweeping turns after a whole four miles, I feel better about it...and secretly...I really love the funny sounds. Shhhhhhh. Don't tell.
The biggest stress of the whole move is done with the most valuable (to me) object I own. If I had to give up every object that I owned except for one, I would be sitting on the street with my baby grand....and be perfectly fine. The prospect of moving it from the condo basement with one inch clearance into the truck was enough to make three professional piano movers very grumpy, and send me into jitters. However, it's done, and while I have a tonne of work ahead of me, I feel this huge relief knowing that it's safely packaged and tucked in the moving equipment case.
Normal breathing has resumed; everything else is simply task ticking :)
