T-Minus 15 Days

I have just about two weeks until I leave Laramie forever and move into my grown-up apartment in Denver. As the date gets closer and closer, I’m realizing just how much I need to do to get ready to move. More than just packing up my stuff, it’s wrapping up my life here and preparing for my life down in Denver.

Now, I’m a big fan of procrastination, but I think in this case I’m going to start preparing early. I’ve moved four times in the past four years and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that things always take longer than you think they will. So here are some of the basics:

1. Pack, pack, pack
Starting next weekend, I’m going to start packing up things that I know I won’t need in my last week here, like my extra dishes, winter clothes, and everything on my dressers and bookcases. If I haven’t used it in the past month, it’s probably going into a box. Then, in the three days before I move out, I’ll do my serious packing. I am always amazed by the sheer volume of items that I manage to fit into my tiny living quarters and I doubt that I’ll be able to get it all done in one day. Tip: Instead of buying cardboard boxes from a store (where the cheapest you’ll probably be able to find them is $1-$3 a box—crazy!), hit up the recycling bins behind stores. The boxes may be a little banged up and used, but they’re free!

2. Clean my apartment
Considering that this apartment was a dump when I moved in (and I mean disgusting, filthy), I am positive that even if I did no cleaning, I would still be leaving this place in better condition than when I moved in. But it’s still your responsibility as a renter to clean up the place before you leave: vacuum the carpet, mop the floors, clean the surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen, defrost the freezer, etc. That’s going to be a long, dirty day. Tip: I didn’t take as detailed photos as I should have when I moved in, a mistake I won’t be repeating when I move in to my new apartment. Be sure to take photos of everything when you move in—the floors, the walls, the cabinets, the appliances—to make sure that there’s no funny business when it’s time to get your security deposit back.

3. Cancel my utilities here, set them up there
Kind of a pain, but something that I can’t forget to do. I also need to set up my forwarding address with the post office and change my address with all of my bills and magazines. Tip: If you are leaving your residence before your cable contract is up, contact your cable company about transferring your service to your new address. Since I’m moving out of Bresnan’s service area, I am going to transfer my service to my sister’s new apartment. That way I don’t have to pay an early cancellation fee or pay for three months of service I’m not using.

So I think those are the big tasks. Then comes everyone's favorite activity: unpacking. But since I'll have about a month of time to kill until my new job starts, at least it will give me something to do!