All packed up

We did it – packed up our whole house into a container, that is about to be loaded onto a ship and taken across the ocean to France. Then we packed up our clothes and our dogs and flew across dry land and sea to Switzerland.

It’s complicated.

While we get our lovely house in Caux ready to welcome visitors to the south of France, its people, beauty, wine and food, we ourselves are spending a year in Switzerland. In a village called Unterägeri, to be precise (it’s about 20 minutes outside Zug, which is about 30 minutes outside Zurich).

Moving your furniture and other creature comforts, including your favourite art pieces and your own sculptures to one country while you move yourself to yet another one, is not for the faint-hearted.

If you’re tempted to do something similar, here are a few things to consider:

• Find the best relocation company you can afford. Ask others who have moved to another country about their experience, search online for reviews and references, compare prices and don’t fall for the cheapest quote. Try a website like Hellopeter to find reviews, both good and bad, that can help you make an informed decision. We went with Execu-Move in South Africa and so far, so good. Their service in the run-up to the move, as well as on the day, was fabulous. They responded very quickly to queries and went out of their way to allay any fears we had. Also, they didn’t just respond to emails, they initiated communication to keep us in the loop. Their packing team was professional, courteous and willing to respond to our concerns. I had a few sculptures that I was very nervous about moving, but they handled them with great care (we wait to see if they survived the journey!).

• If you’re taking your pets with you, then the above is even more relevant – go with the best you can afford. From our first enquiry, Global Paws were on the job. Let’s be clear, it’s expensive to take your dogs to another country. And it’s not just the initial quoted cost, but all the add-ons, like vaccinations and health certificates. But if you’re moving with your pets, you obviously love them – a lot –so make sure the company handling the logistics is responsive and keeps you informed every step of the way. It’s stressful for you, and it’s stressful for your pets, so don’t be surprised if they act up. Ours lost their appetite and started following us around like shadows, especially when our house was being packed up. Have a little more patience with them, and with yourself.

• On that note, keep in mind that moving is stressful, even if you initiated the move and are excited about it. Saying goodbye to all that is familiar to you isn’t easy. Saying goodbye to friends is a sad time. Saying goodbye to your children, even though they’re grown-up and married, is like ripping out your heart. So be nice to yourself and whoever is moving with you. Or at least try. At least try every now and then. If need be, ask your doctor for stress relief meds to help you through the move, and the adjustment on the other side. Even then, cry if you must. Ugly crying is a good thing, and you’re entitled to it. Then dry off your tears and make sure you have every form of digital communication tool and app available to mankind – you may even end up speaking “face to face” with family and friends more often from far away than you did when you were living within a muffin’s throw from one another!

• Keep the bigger picture in mind. You will more than likely have grave doubts about leaving your place and your people, you will wonder what possessed you to move to whichever country you picked out. But remember, it was probably all clear as daylight when you made the initial decision, so hold on to that as you ride the rollercoaster of change.

We’ve arrived in Switzerland, unpacked our dogs and our bags, and on the first morning we woke up to snow. That may not be newsworthy to you, but believe me, for someone born and raised in Africa, that was a most marvellous welcome to this European adventure!

We went from this (Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South africa)…

…to this (unterageri, Switzerland)