Wednesday, August 21, 2013

How to move everything you own and...one little papillon to Denmark

So the time for my move to Denmark has finally come and while I started my apartment search three months in advance, I, for some unknown reason decided to leave the issue of finding movers until my very last week. Urgh! Why?!

Oh man, I f*cked up, f*cked up real bad this time. Not only did I underestimate how MUCH its going to cost to move, I also sorely miscalculated how LONG it is going to take to ship my items to Copenhagen.

I contacted three moving companies, Laser International, Allied and last but not least, UPackWeShip. Each company had its own distinct pros and cons. Allied($3000) was the most expensive and a complete moving service while UPackWeShip($1500) was the cheapest but required the owner to self pack everything and deliver the boxes to the shipping terminal. If the price wasn't bad enough, even with the fastest company-Allied, my boxes would not arrive in Copenhagen for at least TWO MONTHS!!! ah! Everyone knows that I am not the kind of girl who can bear to be separated from her precious clothes and SHOES for such a long time :(. To say the least, I was heartbroken.

After a near melt down and some furious googling, I finally found an unlikely solution. My flight to CPH was through SAS and according to their luggage rules, a passenger is allowed to take up to 5 checked lugguage at 50 lbs each. The first piece is free and each additional is $135. So I decided to bite the bullet and just lug my stuff to Denmark myself. So I single handedly brought 1 carryon, 1 overpacked backpack, 5 huge boxes and...one little papillon from Chicago to Copenhagen?! Whew! and did I mention my apartment in CPH is on the fourth floor and does not have an elevator!? So, yup, I guess I'm pretty much a badass ninja of moving since all this cost me only $665($540 for the boxes and $125 for my dog).

Even though I am beyond exhausted now, everything was worth it because all most of my beloved clothes are safe and sound next to me....well that is except for the 8 additional boxes coming in 2 weeks... :D

-A Nomad and Possible Hoarder -Ran



My trusty little travel companion

1/4 of my beautiful shoe collection-Must bring them all!



I am listening to:
"I Don't Know What I'm Doing" - Brad Sucks




Wednesday, August 7, 2013

20 Days


While most of me is ecstatic and looking forward to having the experience of a lifetime in Copenhagen, why is it that I can't quite seem to quiet a small but growing voice inside of me that is afraid?

Afraid of the unknown.
Afraid of failing.
Afraid of being far from all the things, and more importantly the people that I love in America.

Feeling lonely is not  a foreign concept to me. Seems like I have felt disconnected from my family and alone for the greater part of my life.  I grew up in USA, far from my extended family in China. When I was 12, my father move back to Wuhan for work and he was shortly joined by my mom when I started college at 18. So, I guess I already know all to well the emptiness one feels when loved ones are far away.

Yet here I am, 26 going on 27, about to make the biggest move of my life. Do I have what it takes as a young(am I still young?), single girl to move to a foreign country where I barely know anyone and flourish there?

Well, whether I am ready or not, its going to happen...in 20 days.

-Ran


ps.
This great international move of mine has been beyond stressful, but the hardest part by far, (even more difficult that finding an apartment in Copenhagen) is saying goodbye to the people I love. I think the only way I will make it through this is if I remember that this not "goodbye", but rather "see you later"....

I'm listening to:
"Love Rhino"- Sunny Levine


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