I am moving to New York City from a different country on a different continent with six bags and a puppy. When I get the keys to my new apartment, there will be nothing to bring in besides those six bags, which are relatively large but still airplane baggage-sized.
Packing was fun, deciding what to bring from my current house to the new, yet unknown, apartment far away. The question was not “What would I need?” but rather “What do I want to take to my new life?”. I guess, by selecting some items over others, I was subconsciously defining the life I wanted to build in New York. I left my flip-flops behind, as well as my Crocs, although both pairs had been my de-facto footwear for the last three years. I packed my two precious handmade rugs cause I knew they would make a statement in a New York apartment. I left the frames with my children’s photos behind since I am moving to their city; they will be around for me to see them in person. I took all my crochet and knitting stuff; I cannot do without a project to work on, and it took years for me to establish the collection.
Moving to an empty apartment will be challenging. The last time I made a similar move was in my late twenties. We arrived in the U.S. with our bags (I think the number was again four) and moved into a one-bedroom graduate housing unit. Then things started accumulating, first with pillows and bedding, followed by kitchen items and, of course, by a coffee machine. A year later, when we moved to our first apartment outside the campus, we had a car full of stuff. The third move was done with a UHaul. After seven years in Dallas, we returned to our country with four bags, a giant dog, and a tiny toddler, leaving most of the accumulated stuff behind.
My plan is to get a mattress first, a coffee machine, and basic kitchen items. The rest will sort itself out, I have all the time to make my home. The city will help me with its many, many options. It will be fun.