Oh The Nerves

10POSTS

10 years ago

I move to San Juan in just 10 days. I am sending some boxes ahead, even though I was never able to activate a PO Box. Luckily, I ended up speaking with the Post Master in a station about the difficulty and he explained the issues and said send them on to him (what a nice guy).

I have only a week to locate both an apartment and a car once I land. I have a cat and a dog and that seems to be a stumbling point in Isla Verde (where I plan to live). My apartment here on the mainland isn't emptying as fast as I'd like.

Basically, I am having the usually moving freak outs. I just needed to say these things "out loud" to those who would understand.

*breathe*

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ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

10 years ago

We can certainly understand the situation, moving is never easy specially when the date is so close but you can't seem to be able to get rid of all the stuff fast enough. It is overwhelming.
What sort of problem prevented you from getting a PO Box?
Relax!
Rey

Schuttzie Serial expat

824POSTS

10 years ago

You must be so excited!! You will get through this one day at a time and you will be there and starting your new journey in no time. Yup, just BREATHE

suzanne12345 Contributor

163POSTS

10 years ago

I live in Ocean Park, only a few min away - anything I can do to help? the craziness will soon be over!

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

Welcome to the island travelgurl!!! Relax, breathe and enjoy the ride!!!!

zguillory Member

10POSTS

10 years ago

My husband and I are in the same boat but with a few more weeks (5). We have a cat and also have to get an apt still. We are looking at the Condado/Ocean Park/Santurce area we will be close. We should get together once we're settled in. Just keep breathing and think of beaches. Let us know how the post office situation goes as we are probably going to have to do the same thing. I look forward to hearing more. Big moves, actually any move is generally hard.

melendezki Contributor

121POSTS

10 years ago

We are moving to the island on 8/31 and are starting to feel the pressure and excitement! Plastic totes numbered and duct taped are held in the garage, to be shipped to our post office box two weeks before we leave. Our dog, Domino, is spending time in his cage, getting used to the surroundings, because he will be flying in cargo through United Airlines from Chicago. Cannot wait to hear the coqui sing! Enjoy your last few days on the mainland. We have a 3 bedroom house in Rio Grande available 8/8 - 8/15. It is not within walking distance from San Juan, but if you get in a bind and need a place to land, don't pay high hotel rates, send me a private message and we'll work something out. Animals are okay, we have a bossy stray cat that thinks she owns the place already.

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

Melendezki,

Be ready to pay some $ for the shipping! We send 3 packages this past weekend to the island, 2 boxes 14x21x31 with 35# cost us $70/each and one fishing rod tube at $45 via USPS. I told my wife we could just send the fishing rods.....she did not like my idea.....

1 member reacted to this post

melendezki Contributor

121POSTS

10 years ago

adlin20 wrote:
Melendezki,

Be ready to pay some $ for the shipping! We send 3 packages this past weekend to the island, 2 boxes 14x21x31 with 35# cost us $70/each and one fishing rod tube at $45 via USPS. I told my wife we could just send the fishing rods.....she did not like my idea.....

Thanks for the heads up. It is in the budget, but it's still going to bite. Our custom made cornhole yard game, painted the Puerto Rican flag, is going to cost to get to the island, but it's not getting left behind or given away.

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

#10

It still be cheaper than freight, I price sending 2 pallets of goods with 500-600# between both, the total cost was $1300, and they have size limits on the pallets to 4x4x4. So going thru USPS is the best way to go, major stuff can always be purchased there, the difference is not that much.

Wonderer Member

18POSTS

10 years ago

#11

We are in a similar situation coming September 4th. I am nervous but so excited! We are struggling to get rid of stuff in our current place and not sure what to ship and what to get rid of. Please keep us posted on your car/apartment hunt, we will have to do the same thing. Good Luck!!

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

10 years ago

#12

Wonderer wrote:
We are in a similar situation coming September 4th. I am nervous but so excited! We are struggling to get rid of stuff in our current place and not sure what to ship and what to get rid of. Please keep us posted on your car/apartment hunt, we will have to do the same thing. Good Luck!!

I am still some months away and I worry more about the timing. When to get rid of the beds or couch for example, I do not want to be overly uncomfortable the last 30 days but they have to go. They can be sold, given to someone or trashed, that is less important, but they have to go at some time.

So, to me timing is key and I have not figured it out yet.

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

#13

Our problem is try to keep the furniture until we move, our daughters are getting their own place (finally!!). They have decided that since we are planning on moving their furniture shopping store in our place. They are already taking dibs on our furniture and my wife's kitchen stuff. The other night I was sitting on my couch and my daughter came in with a type measure to make sure the couch will fit on their place!!!

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Schuttzie Serial expat

824POSTS

10 years ago

#14

Haha, too funny, and I can relate! My daughter moved out just this last May and was asking what she is allowed to take. We still have one daughter at home so we're half way there and our goal to spend more time in PR!

1 member reacted to this post

melendezki Contributor

121POSTS

10 years ago

#15

Yes, timing is the dicey part. We started unloading in April for our move the end of August. The guest room furniture went first, which opened up space to start piles of what to take, sell, keep in the attic, or give to family. We have had a steady flow of sales on Craig's List all summer, and are now down to virtually empty rooms. We will be sleeping on an air mattress and driving a rented vehicle the last few days before departing to the island. But, like a guest responded to me yesterday when I warned her about the water rationing before she made reservations at our house, "we are missionaries in training, so we will just deal with it" ... I like that attitude!

4 members reacted to this post

tonie064 Contributor

181POSTS

10 years ago

#16

Melendezki, hi, we have been here in PR for a little over a year and went through similar problems as you are going thru with the furniture, and alot of personal stuff that we just didn't need any longer.

We lived in a small 3 room apt. so it wasn't much to get rid of, pack, give or throw away, but even living in a small space, you accumulate alot of stuff. I am a reader and so I had many, many books, cds, lp albums and my hubby had a lot of tools and work stuff (he had a telecommunications business, so it was jacks, phones, wire, etc.)

We wound up having garage sales over 2 weekends(we set a time limit on the time to get rid of the stuff) and we sold quite a few things but again some things didn't, so we took some to a niece's house so she could sell it later. We had limited space in our suv, because we were driving from NY to FL .so we had to get rid of the stuff.

Then in FL, we had a few more garage sales since we had stuff in storage down there. Once that was over and we gave alot to good will, we arranged for a company to ship the rest of the stuff, mostly boxes, a bed, a antique bar and domino table from my brother-in-law's house after we left. We didn't have a place here yet so we ere going to have them send the stuff to their warehouse here in Toa Baja. It was not cheap maybe $2300 and we didn't get the stuff until October, which was 4 months after we found a house. but in the long run, we adjusted to being without a t.v. and radio and got used to watching the stars every night and I read alot.

I am very thankful that it all worked out and we love our house and still have not gotten it fully furnished but are very comfortable and just love living in PR and don't regret the decision for a minute. It is very stressful but just look at the light at the end of the rainbow and see that it is well worth all the stress and hard work you are doing now.

Welcome to Puerto Rico.

Tonie

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travelgurl Member

10POSTS

10 years ago

#17

First, thank you for such kind words of support. I know once I get there and settled, it is will just lovely.

Timing has been the tricky part, indeed. I am pretty good at living simply (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, so after two years in a mud hut, everything is relative). As far as selling stuff, I had to be willing to just take what I could get and be fine with making larger Goodwill donations. For the past week it has been a mattress on the floor and TV on the giant dog crate. It is fine, but it's only me and the furbabies. The trickiest timing has been selling the car. Yikes, I hope it goes this weekend, or I am going to have to get creative.

The PO Box issue. It seems the Post Office I picked was a contractor station and couldn't recognize the online payment, according to the post master. He says it was an issue within the USPS system, which is why he was kind enough to give me the details to my stuff to his office. He even gave me his cell number. He said to get a refund for my online app and just set it up once I get to town. It may be different if your closest post office isn't a contractor station. What was a help was knowing the process for verification, as that was a sticky issue on this end. Once you reserve online, you have to go get verified at your local post office. They may not know that they just need to verify you ID and call the PR location to give them the verification and the PR station should give them your Box number. There was a lot of confusion on that.

I am so excited to meet some of you, I have sent a few private messages.

Again, thanks y'all. It is just comforting to know that you folks totally understand the exciting stress.

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greekarican09 Member

10POSTS

10 years ago

#18

Just relax it will all come together, beside relax is something you need to do here. No one is in a rush, no one gets things done fast. But it all comes together!

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

#19

greekarican09 wrote:
Just relax it will all come together, beside relax is something you need to do here. No one is in a rush, no one gets things done fast. But it all comes together!

I will agree 100%!! During the construction of our home this past year we experience the "island time" culture. It was a challenge getting all the stuff done every time we travel back home. There were times we spend most of the day at an office, just to have to come back next day. Lots of patience and maintaining your head on the game.

Welcome to the island!!!

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

10 years ago

#20

melendezki wrote:
Yes, timing is the dicey part. We started unloading in April for our move the end of August. The guest room furniture went first, which opened up space to start piles of what to take, sell, keep in the attic, or give to family. We have had a steady flow of sales on Craig's List all summer, and are now down to virtually empty rooms. We will be sleeping on an air mattress and driving a rented vehicle the last few days before departing to the island. But, like a guest responded to me yesterday when I warned her about the water rationing before she made reservations at our house, "we are missionaries in training, so we will just deal with it" ... I like that attitude!

While i am still several months away, we got rid of 1 car, kickout my step daughter, kick out her friend, gave them some furniture, had a large trash container filled with old stuff that we trew away. Now i have two empty bedrooms where we are accumulating things to trow away and things we are taking with us. We stll have 2/3 left, LOL. Seems we acumulated a lit of crap.

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Gary ViP

1845POSTS

10 years ago

#21

Having fun yet?

Moving is the best way to get rid of stuff you no longer need. When I moved here from Germany back in 2001 I only took a couple of boxes. Somehow I managed to fill up a house again - maybe it's time for a move?

1 member reacted to this post

Schuttzie Serial expat

824POSTS

10 years ago

#22

LOL, Gary! Yes, we seem to accumulate things over time

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

10 years ago

#23

Gary wrote:
Having fun yet?

Moving is the best way to get rid of stuff you no longer need. When I moved here from Germany back in 2001 I only took a couple of boxes. Somehow I managed to fill up a house again - maybe it's time for a move?

Or build a house extension for the stuff.

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

#24

Moving is when you find out how much stuff you have. You will be surprised (maybe not) of how many pots and plastic containers you have!! We did!!

Even after giving our girls quite a few bags of kitchen stuff we keep finding more.

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

10 years ago

#25

adlin20 wrote:
Moving is when you find out how much stuff you have. You will be surprised (maybe not) of how many pots and plastic containers you have!! We did!!

Even after giving our girls quite a few bags of kitchen stuff we keep finding more.

I think the stuff hides. You never can find that spatula you are looking for when cooking. It shows up after you buy a few more to claim its place.

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adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

#26

You are correct Ray, that does not happens with tools (

) only with kitchen stuff......we do need those 3 sets of screwdrivers.

Gary ViP

1845POSTS

10 years ago

#27

ReyP wrote:
Gary wrote:
Somehow I managed to fill up a house again - maybe it's time for a move?

Or build a house extension for the stuff.

We're working on that, or better, building our new home that will have a lot of space.

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

#28

We went the other route, we wanted to downsize, we have the big house in the mainland. Our retirement home is less than half. Big enough for both of us, right now the house in Texas is way too much for us to keep up.
We want to be able to spend time doing the stuff we like, not keeping up with a house.

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

10 years ago

#29

adlin20 wrote:
We went the other route, we wanted to downsize, we have the big house in the mainland. Our retirement home is less than half. Big enough for both of us, right now the house in Texas is way too much for us to keep up.
We want to be able to spend time doing the stuff we like, not keeping up with a house.

So when are you selling the Texas house and move to PR permanent?

adlin20 ViP

1057POSTS

10 years ago

#30

I just got a new contract for a travel assignment in Ca, we should be ready to retire 100% in less than 3 years. I'm only 47 so I want to wait until 50 to retire. If everything works out the way we want, we should be selling the house within this next year and traveling back and forth between Ca and PR for the next few years.

Fingers crossed