Feeling Overwhelmed!

So I'm leaving Nebraska on Sunday and driving to Florida to see my parents before the big move to the UK July 20th.

I'm only taking what fits in my two door Altima, plus my three cats and am FREAKING out that I still have so much stuff that it won't all fit. I've gotten rid of all of my furniture, donated more than half of my clothes, gotten rid of all my kitchen bits and bobs but I just feel like there are so many knick knacks that I'm trying to make choices of what to take and what to throw away. Every time I start sorting, I get so overwhelmed I just freak out and start crying. I think lots of it is just the move is finally becoming real.

How did you all deal with your move? I'm sure it isn't unusual to feel this... lost... but I just can't focus on what needs to get done.

I'm so frustrated... it's hard doing it all alone!

Moving is stressful - full stop. Moving overseas with all that entails is a nightmare. You are not alone!

All of my stuff save for a few outfits are still in Omaha. I don't think I would have been able to cope had I moved everything out of my house. Fortunately I have a roommate who is still there and living in my house. Haha. I can't imagine your stress. Hope you make it through!

Another Omahan?!?

Thanks guys. I have a feeling I'll be splurging on Friday to mail some things either to Florida or just straight thru to the UK.

Saturday is reserved for a dump run and cleaning my condo. I will make it... I will make it... I'll soon be on the beaches of Florida and not long after that be enjoying the coasts of Cornwall.

Positive thinking right?!?

Yup! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other 

Another Omahan?!?

Yep. Originally from Vegas, went into the Air Force and was stationed at Offutt. Then just decided to stay! :-) I'm in Winchester now.

Yup! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other 

It seems silly and obvious, but this is actually really great advice. I made a list so I can start checking things off, even small things like "Sort through the box in the spare room". It makes it easier to look at it as one task at a time instead of looking around the house thinking "OMG I have so much stuff still!"

I had some friends come over yesterday for a free for all, and whatever they didn't want they took to Goodwill for me. I'm feeling a bit better today.

Yep. Originally from Vegas, went into the Air Force and was stationed at Offutt. Then just decided to stay! :-) I'm in Winchester now.

I'm going to miss Omaha sooooo much. CWS is going on right now, which has always been a huge Omaha tradition for me and my friends. I also hit up the zoo one last time. What part of Omaha did you live in? You said you still have a house here?

Offutt was the reason my family first moved from the UK to the US. My step dad was stationed here after RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall and a few years at Hellinikon in Athens, Greece.

I had some friends come over yesterday for a free for all, and whatever they didn't want they took to Goodwill for me. I'm feeling a bit better today.

I'm going to miss Omaha sooooo much. CWS is going on right now, which has always been a huge Omaha tradition for me and my friends. I also hit up the zoo one last time. What part of Omaha did you live in? You said you still have a house

Omg I did a free for all too!! My friend Lashaun walked out of my house with at least $4,000 worth of clothes. Lol.

When I was stationed at Offutt, I lived in the dorms. Then I moved downtown for a little bit. Loved it! I got my house in 2007 built off of 192nd and Center. I love West Omaha. Lived there since 2003. 

CWS time is awesome! I was just telling another friend of mine that I wish I was out there for it! This is my first summer of not going. We always went to Pauli's to party!

It all compressed something fierce at the end, for me. There really wasn't time to think. After years of faffing around and trying to find a place in the UK and sell my house...said goodbye at work Monday, the movers came Tuesday, I closed on my house Wednesday and got on a plane that afternoon.

You know what's the weirdest feeling in the world? The next day. You wake up, and all the most important items in your purse -- your keys, your work ID, your Blue Cross card, the money in your wallet -- mean nothing. No meaning and no value. It all belongs to another time and another place.

You know what's the weirdest feeling in the world? The next day. You wake up, and all the most important items in your purse -- your keys, your work ID, your Blue Cross card, the money in your wallet -- mean nothing. No meaning and no value. It all belongs to another time and another place.

Gigantic identity crisis!

I read something the other day about de-cluttering that is appropriate to any clear out:
As you go through your stuff, just think about if you were to move out of the house tomorrow would you take that item with you. Must remember that one, as I'm always thinking Oh, I might want this next winter ... whatever ... And I probably won't want it then!

I can't believe you're not here yet, Boston Diner! Me, I only show up on the forum when I'm sweating a visa or I need to know what Brits call Elmer's glue, so I'm unsure who's where.

It did actually matter to me to have some low value but familiar things with me. Things like the thermos I carried to work every day or stupid souvenirs. It's a big enough shock to your system without changing EVERYthing.

Unless you're one of those people who likes throwing things out and making a fresh start, but that's so not me.

Ok, so I made it to Florida. It was a 26 hour drive, with a jam packed car and 3 cats. I will NEVER. DO. IT. AGAIN.

It's indescribable how exhausted I am!

But the good news... I did it! I've gotten rid of everything except what would fit in my car and I'll probably go through it all again before the flight to London.

It's really strange thinking I'm never going to drive on the road I take to work again, or walk to get the mail and say hello to my neighbor, or pop over to a friends for an episode of The Real Housewives and a drink... It's probably good that I was SO stressed leading up to the move that I didn't really have time to feel sad.

Overall, I feel really good about getting rid of everything. Most of my things went to my friends who just had a new baby and are struggling to make ends meet, so I really like that they got my things. My friends said it was "like christmas". It's a good feeling!

Now I get to start all over. This experience has definitely helped me look at buying 'stuff' in a whole new way. At the end of the day, its just things. I still have the memories. I'm really happy with everything (even though right now I can barely move!).

And for the next few weeks... its going to be beach time!!

You know what's the weirdest feeling in the world? The next day. You wake up, and all the most important items in your purse -- your keys, your work ID, your Blue Cross card, the money in your wallet -- mean nothing. No meaning and no value. It all belongs to another time and another place.

That is weird! I'll have to prepare myself for that.

Omg I did a free for all too!! My friend Lashaun walked out of my house with at least $4,000 worth of clothes. Lol.

When I was stationed at Offutt, I lived in the dorms. Then I moved downtown for a little bit. Loved it! I got my house in 2007 built off of 192nd and Center. I love West Omaha. Lived there since 2003. 

CWS time is awesome! I was just telling another friend of mine that I wish I was out there for it! This is my first summer of not going. We always went to Pauli's to party!

I used to live at the townhomes on 180th and Center and I agree... I love West Omaha. If I were to stay in Omaha longer, I would have done a loft in the Old Market, love that part of town.

I used to hit up Pauli's too!! This year was the first year the tournament has been held at the new stadium, next to the Qwest Center. The entire space around the stadium is a huge tailgate/Pauli's type experience. It was a GREAT way to celebrate my going away party with friends.

Well keep in touch! It will be nice to have someone to talk to who also misses Omaha, once I get over to the UK.

It's really strange thinking I'm never going to drive on the road I take to work again, or walk to get the mail and say hello to my neighbor, or pop over to a friends for an episode of The Real Housewives and a drink... It's probably good that I was SO stressed leading up to the move that I didn't really have time to feel sad.

That echos my experience, too. Everything was so compressed at the end, I didn't have time to mope. Took me ages to recover from that final push.

I lived in Providence for thirty years, but I have no family or other ties in the area, so I'll never go back. That's really the hardest thing, and it's so stupid. The boring commute I did for 25 years, the crappy supermarket I hit a couple times a week, the greasy pizza joint up the road...they might as well be ancient Babylon, for all they're lost to me in the mists of time.

I just try not to think about it yet, not until a bit more time passes. I have a fabulous life in the UK and I'd be a fool to darken it with this broody nonsense. But it really is like one day I woke up in somebody else's life.

I'm baking cupcakes for the Church fête this week. The horrorrrrr.

I used to live at the townhomes on 180th and Center and I agree... I love West Omaha. If I were to stay in Omaha longer, I would have done a loft in the Old Market, love that part of town.

I used to hit up Pauli's too!! This year was the first year the tournament has been held at the new stadium, next to the Qwest Center. The entire space around the stadium is a huge tailgate/Pauli's type experience. It was a GREAT way to celebrate my going away party with friends.

Well keep in touch! It will be nice to have someone to talk to who also misses Omaha, once I get over to the UK.

Wow we were neighbors and didn't even know it! Small world! I wish I could have seen the new facilities, it sounds like fun! I wonder if Paulis is still the go to place now. Interesting!

I loved west Omaha too! Funny you mention the lofts downtown I lived downtown for a year back in 1998. I lived in Farnam 1600 on 16th and Farnam in the 9th floor. It was sweet. The apartment was gorgeous and I loved downtown living. It's a toss up of which I liked best because downtown definitely has a feel to it that west O doesn't. But you also don't get the parking issues, no grocery stores problem that you do downtown. So the pros and cons even out.

Definitely keep in touch. We are in Winchester right now but we are moving to London in three weeks. :-)