if there’s one thing universally scowled at even more than deciding where to live, it’s moving one’s stuff there. Moving a large amount of furniture and Disney knick-knacks is never an easy task.

Do you move it? If so, how? Or is it best to let a professional take care of it? Are you a minimalist; hoarder; stuck with your deceased parents’ stuff; meaning to declutter? It’s all, quite frankly, overwhelming. And, also frankly, none of us feel like we should give a damn about moving stuff at all.

Author’s note: I like the Gone With the Wind joke “frankly I don’t give a damn” a bit too much. Not entirely sure why that is…

No joke, I moved into my new apartment in Oakland, California on April 1st. A sunny Friday where my biggest priority was to get every box out of my truck and into the new 600+ square feet studio apartment. Thankfully I quickly found an elevator that would allow me to bring my red little wagon up to the fifth floor and avoid stairs. But what about utilities? Where does everything go once brought in? Oh yeah, we don’t have shelves yet. Or the Prince Futon - another story for another day.

Now, where did I put… everything..?

I have never been able to afford a service, but maybe I will once I move out of this new apartment in a year’s time. The service is many hundreds of dollars, but those hunky dudes generally do a great job and get a big house of furniture cleared within hours. I’ve heard this takes a lot of pressure off of a homeowner’s shoulders. I have yet to experience this.

What’s great about trying to be a minimalist while on the road: everything stays packed up and you can forget about it. What’s not great: you now lack certain things like dishes, bowls, bookshelves, et al. But now you get to set everything up.

Oh, and don’t forget that the internet router must be confusing - also a review for another day.

I have yet to hear a story that I would consider truly positive. My own experience in a new city, in a new part of the United States isn’t technically a “nightmare” comparatively, but this still hasn’t appeared without its kinks. I give Moving one star. Or maybe one truck.