A Few Suggestions For Your Unaccompanied Baggage
Nola and I had a date last night to attend a Masterworks recital of graduate music students and their professors at the local university. She dressed up and picked my dress too, and we made our way to the concert hall…until we got to the door and were met with a sign that said “Cancelled due to Covid.”
Sigh. “Still?” I said. I forget that this is still something that stops everything. Still.
Nola wasn’t bothered and skipped around the roses that are blooming in full now in the southwest and asked me to tell her about my time at the same concert hall 10 years ago as a graduate student. I was excited to go back in that same space that represented such a huge accomplishment and so much work for me.
Not wanted to skimp on it being a date together, we walked around a few of the university buildings and then I let her pick where she wanted to go for ice cream together. She insisted on driving to a high ridge to look at the lights together — because that is “what you do on a date” — and chose Sonic to order her favorite strawberry shake with a cherry on top.
She was in heaven and I was trying so hard to be present because I adore her at this age. I’ve adored her at every age. Is that something you do with your last child? It all feels more worthy of savoring, and more fleeting right now. And I’m so distracted with our move and everything that needs to be done before the movers come and we say our last good byes.
One of the things on my list this week was emptying out Nola’s room to be our “No Pack” room. She has the least amount of furniture and belongings, so her room is our designated space to separate out our things we are packing with us and the things that need to go ahead of us in our smaller air shipment. I’ve got 4 different checklists on my phone right now for these different shipments and what we need to remember.
So what’s on these lists?
Here’s just an example we are taking in our smaller, air shipment (called UB or UAB for Unaccompanied Baggage). This shipment is the one I am most excited about —just what we really need with a few comforts. It’s 1000 lbs or less and is meant to arrive more quickly by plane rather than by boat like the rest of your furniture and big items to your overseas destination. We cannot include any furniture in this lighter shipment.
Here’s what is on our UAB list! I’ve included links where possible in case you need some sources:
Mattress topper (overseas bases usually have loaner furniture, ie. beds, for you to borrow but they are horribly uncomfortable. You can take a mattress topper to ease some of that. )
Gloves and box cutters for unpacking (my hands get really dry and cracked from handling all of our belongings during the unpacking days so I want to have these early and on hand for when our main delivery arrives. THIS is my favorite, kid-safe box opener.)
Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Napkins, Paper plates and plasticware (yes, they will have all of these things in the stores, but this is meant to save me an extra trip out in the exhausting early days.)
Hangers
Small trash can
Bedding, sheets, pillows and towels
Soap, toothpaste, and other toiletries
Small TV + adapter/transformer
Apple TV
Board games, cards
Broom and cleaning supplies
Scissors, tape, kid craft supplies, crayons, markers,
Toys…just a few
Zip ties, twine, superglue, sharpies
Crockpot
Basic pots and pans (hands down the best kitchen purchase I have made. I have the One Pot and two of the Always pans and truly love them. The link gives you $20 off.)
Cooking utensils, spice jars in zip lock bags, dish brush and gloves
Sheet pans, cutting boards, griddle, knives, Bosch Mixer w/ blender (this one is so powerful and faithful I will never be without it), can opener, baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, toaster, kettle, vegetable peeler, pot holders, pitcher
6 mugs, plastic plates and cups, limited silverware
Plastic Wrap, Aluminum Foil, Parchment Paper, Storage Bags
Plastic food containers
Shower curtains + hooks
Hammer, screwdriver, nails
2 Bikes, tire pump
Camp chairs
Laundry baskets
Stamps and cards
Dog food, grooming supplies
Extra military uniforms
Music stand, keyboard, some violin + piano music
Iron, ironing board, empty spray bottle, laundry drying rack
Printer, paper
Powerstrips, extension cords
Flashlights
Folding table and chairs
Extra moving labels for when house shipment arrives
This is our specific list but gives a good framework for anyone moving overseas. Just the essentials and a few comforts to get your through and prepared for your main house shipment to arrive. I recommend making your own list in the notes on your phone with those bubbles you can easily check off rather than printing off a suggested list from the internet because you likely won’t want to, or need to take everything on those printed lists, and seeing a lot of things not checked off can make essential things you don’t want to miss get lost in the shuffle. Use the lists your find online as a springboard for thinking through your own belongings and things you’d like to have.
And remind yourself, just like I had to last night, to BE PRESENT. Use lists and organization to help you to still live in the moment with your precious family through your moving transition.
I hope this helps!
love,
dayna
