The moving notebook lives on
By Karina Rook
My faithful notebook that was so essential in helping me to get organized before we made the move proved to be very handy once we arrived in San Francisco.
I just started using the last pages of the book to record research and lists, with topics like this:
- Banking
- Houses
- School
- Doctor
- Airbnb
- Clipper Cards (local transport passes)
- Work Permit
- Social Security
- Furniture
- Mini Cooper Research
- Entertainment System
As I started to buy furniture and household items, I stapled in my receipts. Yes, I could have filed them with all our other paperwork, but having the notebook in the kitchen meant it was so much easier to staple into the book. I ended up returning a kettle I bought (our rental has instant hot water plumbed in!) and having the receipt handy made it a no-brainer to get my $100 back.
I kept a similar notebook for our move to London in 2007 and found that I used it upon returning to Australia in 2008. It helped me remember all the steps I had taken to disconnect ourselves from Melbourne, so that I could more easily re-connect again.