Moving Here and There

When it comes to packing, I get damn excited. I love to organize and put clothes, shoes, accessories, essentials and all things travel in little tiny bags before neatly stacking them all into a large suitcase. I have all the cool travel hacks when it comes to packing your luggage most efficiently. I have never really given it much thought as to why I love packing. I know it is weird. I also know it is helpful for my husband as it is one less thing he needs to do when I am around. There is no valid explanation why I love it but it extends from my love for planning, maybe my love for travel, and the anticipation of the happiness that comes from travel (but I have also packed for others and enjoyed the process as much). 

This time packing was very very different. I was having cold feet trying to decipher what could be the best possible way to start our very big move. Like most clueless beings, I searched the internet for answers "How to move across countries" or "How to effectively relocate". Our best solution came through iterations of many different sources. I decided it was better to purge and sell as much as possible. It is easier said than done as these pieces of furniture and even the little antique pieces that made no sense were our prized possessions. Each one had a lovely story of how we acquired it and some were so new that the idea to sell them seemed bizarre.

Just to give you a background, we were staying in Andheri west and had recently moved to a new home a year back so some new stuff was bought to make the new house more comfortable and fill up the extra bedroom. Like all people who love their belongings and would like to take them to their new nests, we also tried to first understand what it would cost to transfer all of it or at least some to Austria. We looked for relocation agents, got quotes but they were so darn expensive! We also were not sure how much of our Indian goods would fit into our new lives there. The cheapest possible way was to ship the stuff in a container but the logistics just did not feel right. We made up our minds to give away and sell things. A fresh start is what the doctor has ordered we thought. We took only clothes and essentials that were expensive (watches, jewelry, perfumes, Ipad, etc) as per our baggage limit (which was good enough thanks to a kid with not much stuff).

Here is our journey of decoding the relocation nightmare:

> Start super early (yes, 6-8 months early if need be)

> Start small like going through your socks drawers :)

> Make an excel sheet of the inventory with all details that you may need (check mine for inspiration)

> Decide unanimously over wine what to do with each item on the list - Sell/ Gift/ Take / Donate (It was obviously a long drawn process but with nowhere to go in May, this seemed to be a good exercise.)

> Take good pictures of all items to sell, target the big ones first

> Make a listing or a PDF that can be shared for finding new homes for your pre cared articles

> Try listing on FB market place, send out the docs to all your neighbors (you will be surprised that it actually works)

> Pack away your big suitcases with all seasonal wear or things you want to have later but not need right away.

> Make few boxes of books or shoes or other invaluable to others sort of items that you can send out to a friend if need be (nobody wants to pay extra baggage)

> We even made an extra suitcase for our family members to bring when they come and visit us (awww... so simple)

> Leave a suitcase each for clothes which you need now and for the next month which you pack only at the end

> Make use of the carry-ons (its no shame since you relocate only once)

> Meet up with all your friends, invite them over and bid goodbyes

> Plan a few days/weeks/months with your family before you actually leave

> Get enrolled with a relocation agent to manage your visa and other arrangements in the new country

> Close your extra bank accounts and consolidate finances

> Close your subscriptions on time

> Change your mobile plan to prepaid to use abroad until you transition

There will be more to this checklist but this will give you a good place to start.

Our plans were so uncertain that even letting go of our Mumbai flat seemed strange but both of us decided that due to COVID-19, it will be a good idea to work remotely but from the comfort of our parent's home. So we stayed as nomads shifting between each of our parent's homes to divide our time equally between the two sets and also not become a huge burden for one set. August-September-October 3 months passed however the visa consulate was behaving like a stiff wealthy uncle who simply refused to realize that these kids just want approval to start their new lives without costing him a penny. We rescheduled our flights 3 times before finally giving ourselves the luxury to spend one last big holiday with family which is Diwali, the festival of lights. If you are an Indian you know how auspicious and fun it is to be home with your parents for Diwali.

With our goodbyes done many times over now and have had our fill of living out of suitcases, we finally took off for Austria in November. The flight was longer and emptier due to travel restrictions. We flew from Delhi to Amsterdam and then to Vienna where we finally got a huge cab to Fuschl our final destination. Fuschl is where Red Bull HQ is situated and where Abhi will be working. We spent the next 14 days in quarantine but it was oh so different (I'll get to the different part in my next blog). After spending almost half a year in uncertainty our lives may now start to get normal in a few months is the only feeling I could relish.