So this week we are due to move back home to Herault from our rented temporary pad in London. We arrived by car with 2 children and are going back with 3 children and 2 vans. That is if we ever get out of the UK!
Well this is how Not to move to France.
Firstly, roughly guess how much space you need to ship your possessions and book a part load.
Now begin to pack your beloved items carefully with 3 children helping, 2 shoes in 1 back out, playmobil in and back out again.
Arrange collection at least 4 days before your move and pack up essential kid friendly items like tv and toys.
Order more boxes as oops 10 wasn't enough.
Repack into bigger boxes, sell unwanted items on ebay...like kids beds so they are now bedless, tvless and toyless.
Ensure that the firstborn princess gets childhood illness e.g. chicken pox just after you have packed all kid entertainment items like tv...as it will be fun imagining what games can be played with a room full of boxes, a whinging itchy 4 year old drama queen and 2 toddlers being caged in like at a small zoo.
Collection day arrives and oh dear, the part load you booked only fits part of your load. Panic and now arrange another urgent part load at goodness knows what cost as your moving budget just went out of the window.
Now ask an elderly relative who has been planning to die since he was 50 to dramatically pop off the week of your big move. Thanks Grandad. If I sound callous I am not, he really has been planning his departure since he retired and gave up...we always said he would outlive my bubbly spirited and adored grandma which of course he did. But he was making sure I had no excuses not to say a last goodbye and so today the day before our planned departure I am sat in euston station heading up north.
Mind you, almost didn't make is as ate a dodgy chinese yesterday and spent until 3 am chatting to rented toilet. Yes on your list of what not to do should be make sure you eat some food of interesting quality.
And so to my spectacular finale, make sure you pack your passports somewhere safe, like the box labelled very important box. Yes our whole families passports were shipped with our posessions on Monday and we are now very luckily having them shipped back to us by a very helpful frenchvanman.
One day we will move back to France...hopefully tomorrow x fingers crossed! Toes crossed!
I can assure you when we get there we are staying put!