Hi! My name is Victoria and I’m a new contributor for Big City Little Blog! I’m Jess’s little sister, and have just graduated from the College of Charleston located in Charleston, SC. Like most college grads, I spent some time transitioning to post college life at my parent’s home in Lancaster, PA. But after a summer in my hometown, I’m ready for the next stage of my life to begin…in sunny southern California. On Monday I’m taking a direct flight to Los Angelels to pursue a career in marketing/PR. Once I booked my one way ticket, countless questions began racing in mind…but the biggest question of all: How am I going to pack everything?
Here are my tips on how to pack up your closet when making a big move:
1. Prioritize
When making a big move, the first thing I suggest is clean out your closet. Some pieces in my closet I hadn’t worn in years, and I knew I would never wear again (specifically my “going out” clothes from my freshman year of college). Since I am flying when I move I can only bring a few suitcases, so it’s very important to analyze every single article of clothing when packing and ask yourself before you put it in your suitcase: “Do I really need this?” or “Will I really wear this?”
2. Utilize your car
For those of you who are moving within driving distance- you are so lucky!! Be sure to cram your car and fill every space you can. Before you start packing, I would suggest really analyzing the space of your car and see how many suitcases/boxes you can realistically fit. However, if you’re like me and moving across the country- I would recommend shipping your car. Believe it or not- shipping your car is actually cheaper than driving from the east to west coast (when including gas, hotels, and food for the entire trip). When shipping your car, be sure to utilize the trunk of you car. I crammed my trunk full of bedding, towels and kitchen supplies. I defiantly do not recommend putting any valuables in the trunk. Just stick to what’s convenient and simple.
3. Pack by Outfits, Not by Items
Photo source: moviefone.com
It’s important to pack by outfits, and not my specific items. For example, when you consider packing a shirt, ask yourself, “What can I wear this with?” From moving to the east coast to the west coast, I focused on outfits for work/job interviews, a few beach outfits, fitness clothes, everyday clothes, and a couple of nice outfits for special events/going out. The same goes for shoes (which are really hard to pack because of the bulkiness). Since I’m flying when I move, I dedicated one massive suitcase for clothes, a medium suitcase for shoes, toiletries, and accessories, and a small carry on bags for lightweight items.
4. Consider Storage
Another thing to consider when moving, specifically for college grads, is consider storing some of your clothes that you don’t really need at home in your old bedroom (if you’re parents will let you). Chances are you’ll be visiting your parent’s home for the holidays and throughout the year, so it might help to leave some things at home and bring them later when you visit your home again.
5. Buy Things Once You’ve Arrived
Lastly, I would ask yourself what can you buy out there? For example- if you’re really tight for space, you can buy things like camisoles, tank tops, socks or toiletries once you’ve arrived in your new city for a very low cost.
