Living out of a box

As mentioned in the last post, here's my car packed FULL of stuff...

The hatchback...

My life in a storage unit :(  It's actually way fuller now, but half of it's not mine, and a lot of it is stuff we need to get back to it's owners.

IT FITS!!!!

Did a test move yesterday.  Loaded everything I want to take to LA into my car and took it to a storage unit.  It's packed, but everything fits in my car!  Sewing machines were a must, but I was afraid I might have to lose some clothes, fabric, or my one box of books.  But it all made the cut!  I have pictures of my packed car I'll have to post sometime.  It's crazy thinking about putting my whole life into my car.

My car actually drove really well full.  That was another concern I had.  But as long as I took my time and didn't push it too hard, it seemed to handle the load well.  Now I'm just worried about someone breaking in when I'm stopped to sleep one of the nights.  Yes, it would suck because everything is in there, but I guess life would go on and I'd still make it out to LA.

Roughly 2 1/2 weeks and I'm gone!  It still hasn't full set in.

Plans for Cali

I figured since I was moving to the other side of the country, I should start a blog to keep friends and family up to date on my life. Especially those that don't use Facebook much or at all. So here it is, “LA Adventures!”

First off, let me get you all up to speed. I have a place to live in Glendale, CA starting the 15th of September. The plan is to leave Wednesday, September 12th and take 3 full days to drive there. Assuming there are no terrible set backs, I'll actually be getting into the area the night of the 14th.

I *hopefully* have all of my possessions dwindled down to one car load. I'll also hopefully be doing a test move next week to make sure. I've had a couple of garage sales, threw away/donated things, and have more than I probably should stored at my parents' house until I can come back to get it. That's one of the toughest things. I have a small car, and a lot of “stuff.” While there aren't a lot of things I need, there are a lot of things that will make life easier. At the moment, most of my stuff is made up of my sewing machines, fabric, sewing odds & ends, costumes and clothes. I think I've gotten my stuff down to 1 box of kitchen stuff. I have a box of books and a box of office stuff (paper, hole punch, etc.), that if it comes down to it, I don't really need. I'm not taking ANY furniture. And actually, once moving out there, a small table and chair to use for sewing are higher on my list of priorities than getting a bed. I'm fine with a sleeping bag and blanket on the floor. It's really hard to sew without a table. I really hope everything will fit, and my car won't explode from all the extra weight.

Next big task before moving: Seeing as many of my friends as much as possible before I go. I'm hoping to have my last day at work be the 7th, so maybe we'll have a going away night out that weekend or something. I want to plan it ASAP so friends from Battle Creek, etc. can have time to plan to come. I'll keep you all posted as much as possible.

Once out there, finding a job is top of the list. I've been looking on craiglist and looking for help wanted sites, but most of these jobs probably won't be around by the time I move. It's a start though. And at least I'm getting to know what's in the area and where to go to pick up applications. There are plenty of little shops, restaurants, malls, etc. Initially when I get out there, I'm just looking for anything that will start paying some of the bills. Once I get established, I can be more picky. But I'd rather be working 3 crappy part time jobs at minimum wage for the first year than to be broke and living on the street. But that shouldn't happen. Especially with my manager experience and work history, I think I'll be able to get a job. And I'm a hard worker, so even if I start out at minimum wage with only a few hours, hopefully it'll show and I'll build my way up.

So, that's what I'm up to! I'm not sure how much I'll be able to update about until I move, but be sure to check back mid-September when things really start happening!

~~Melinda