Moving across the country

I’m in the same position! Except I’m going alone and flying from east coast to Colorado

well i'll assume securing a job and some housing is first on your to-do list. that'll be the only pressing issues, i think

where are you going?

beyond getting housing and a job down, i can't think of any great general advice but am more than happy to answer any specific questions you got. i think if you're a bad enough dude or girl to pick up and move to the other side of the country, you won't have any issues getting out there and making friends etc!

SofaKingSickwell i'll assume securing a job and some housing is first on your to-do list. that'll be the only pressing issues, i think

where are you going?

beyond getting housing and a job down, i can't think of any great general advice but am more than happy to answer any specific questions you got. i think if you're a bad enough dude or girl to pick up and move to the other side of the country, you won't have any issues getting out there and making friends etc!

It’s mainly the actual moving part, I’m working on buying a house in South Lake Tahoe and I have a job, I was more wondering if anyone has tips on actually getting across the country. I’ve never been in the car for more than 4 hours so even long driving tips are welcome.

I’m also looking for packing tips, things I should just buy out there, and things I should make sure to bring. I was told I got a job this past Friday, put an offer in on a house on Saturday, and I’m moving two weeks from today, so I’m a little panicked.

**This post was edited on Sep 24th 2018 at 4:05:58pm

My friends and I drove from NY to OR in just over two days. DO NOT DO THAT. It was 40 hours of drive time in 50 hours. Super miserable even with 3 drivers. I didn't sleep and ended up hallucinating from exhaustion during the second night.

In general for your move though, have fun with it. Do not go with expectations, just let life happen honestly.

Get the Netflix app on your phone and download a bunch of stand up comedy. Also don't just try to rush all the way to California, enjoy the road trip a little and take some breaks.

connecticuntIt’s mainly the actual moving part, I’m working on buying a house in South Lake Tahoe and I have a job, I was more wondering if anyone has tips on actually getting across the country. I’ve never been in the car for more than 4 hours so even long driving tips are welcome.

I’m also looking for packing tips, things I should just buy out there, and things I should make sure to bring. I was told I got a job this past Friday, put an offer in on a house on Saturday, and I’m moving two weeks from today, so I’m a little panicked.

**This post was edited on Sep 24th 2018 at 4:05:58pm

hmm well i was a poor ski bum when i did it last so i was of the school of thought that if i owned it, i was bringing it (rather than buying it when i got there)! if money is less of an issue for you that might not be a necessary guideline

i wouldn't be worried about the car ride too much, it's a big beautiful country with a mind-blowing amount of different and cool regions. so my advice would be to enjoy the ride and don't be afraid to stop to check things out. it'll be a great experience and will make you less crazy than driving as many hours straight as you can...and that can be dangerous too

having a companion will definitely help. im a big fan of downloading movies, comedy albums, podcasts, etc to listen to. they really pass the time better than music in my opinion (and you'll have plenty of time to listen to music as well haha)

when we did stop we just kinda googled around for reasonably priced motels that were easy enough to get to. if you can stop somewhere at a friend's house that's even better and more fun


don't panic. you have the most important part done, so get your nice clothes and other work prep stuff squared away and then just get your ducks in a row to take a long drive. unless you hate driving long distances, i bet you really really enjoy it! i wish i could ditch my job for a couple weeks and make the drive right now haha

connecticuntIt’s mainly the actual moving part, I’m working on buying a house in South Lake Tahoe and I have a job, I was more wondering if anyone has tips on actually getting across the country. I’ve never been in the car for more than 4 hours so even long driving tips are welcome.

I’m also looking for packing tips, things I should just buy out there, and things I should make sure to bring. I was told I got a job this past Friday, put an offer in on a house on Saturday, and I’m moving two weeks from today, so I’m a little panicked.

**This post was edited on Sep 24th 2018 at 4:05:58pm

Take it easy if you don't know how well you like long drives. I've done some very long solo days like Mammoth home to Oregon in one day but very long days are not for everyone. I'd probably allow as many days of travel as possible if you are driving your own vehicle especially if you are towing since that requires a little extra energy and attention.

A good tip is to take it easy on the caffeine first thing in the morning so that the afternoon and evening coffee does more. Also good nutrition is super important. Try to avoid all the fast food crap they sell on the side of the road. Bring good fruits and veggies to snack on. Eat lots of fiber.

Beware of cheap low octane gas in the middle states. Some states can sell crap that is illegal to sell on the west and east coast and it will make your car run like crap. Pay attention to the octane number you buy at home and not the grade of gas. You might need to buy a different grade to get the same stuff in a different state.

Pre pack a bunch of normal food. You can only eat gas station food before it wrecks you stomach.

Get lots of meth. That's how the truckers do it.

connecticuntin exactly two weeks from today I will be moving from east to west coast and I am looking for any and all tips that might be useful because I have no idea what I am doing

as of right now, we are driving one car and trailing the other behind a uhaul but if anyone else has moved far away, I’d be interested to hear how you went about it

Drink a few redbulls and you'll be fine.

robbinJAHoodI’m in the same position! Except I’m going alone and flying from east coast to Colorado

That takes some guts! I would need a minimum of one car load of stuff to move. You bout to bring your skis on the plane?



Most of my moves have been 5+ hour drive at least. So whatever dosen't fit in a box gets left behind. All the beer stained couches gotta go. You might want to trade out beds if you currently have a cheap one.

This is a monster road trip. Which is probably the cause for concern. The one thing that I always try to avoid is sodium on long car trips. Too much coffee/caffeine with fast food and chips starts to hurt after a few days. Stop by a store and grab a bag of grapes or something similar



oh and you can't say soda anymore. Its called pop

skiermanGet lots of meth. That's how the truckers do it.

And piss jugs. Lots of piss jugs.

I did Quebec City to Nelson, BC in a week and a half back in 2012, alone, one car with most my shit crammed in a Mazda 3. Best road trip I have ever done. I put everything else in storage until I can make it back and move the rest of my shit...but its like 6 years and I still dont have a plan. Here is my 2 cents:

-Have money, and a lot of it. Moving will always cost you more than you anticipated. Gas isnt cheap and hotels really bring up the bill. Cut back on expenses the best you can.
-Buy a decent tent and camping gear as well as emergency roadside gear. Your car might break down in the middle of nowhere. That includes checking your emergency spare wheel.
-Make lots of stops and visit as many interesting areas as you can depending time budget. If your crossing the country, try to learn as much about your country as possible. Dont forget to have your mountain bike handy and a skateboard nearby.
-Music. Singing makes the drive easier and keeps you awake.
-Weed... a lot of weed. I was baked the entire trip and it really made the trip much more interesting; kept me awake on the long stretches of flat farm land.

Double whatever you think you're going to spend when you get there on things like toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. No matter what house I've moved into I've always cleaned it first and always seemed to be missing necessary cleaning stuff after moving. That was always a big pain point for me with moving. And pack as much as you can, even if you think "oh I can just get that when I get there". No, just pack it, it's one less thing you'll have to buy.

Driving wise, take the extra day or two and stop and see things. I am from PA and went to school in Bozeman and every year I made a point to stop at some new spot on the way out and back and I am so happy I did. Especially the harder to reach stuff like Devil's Tower or Mt Rushmore etc. It is well worth taking the extra time. You think you can cannonball it 15 hours a day until you do it the first day and want to die. Spotify has a bunch of stand up, download some of that as well as audiobooks if that's your bag.

Just never look at a clock, it makes the drive take longer

DirtYStylEThat takes some guts! I would need a minimum of one car load of stuff to move. You bout to bring your skis on the plane?

Yeah I’m taking my skis on the plane, I’m mailing out one box of stuff but other than that I’m going with pretty much nothing lol I’m pretty minimalistic when it comes to “things.” I travel a lot and don’t spend much money on material stuff and the shit that I do have, I go through it and give most of it away pretty frequently

Take a picture at every state so your FBI agent will rest easy knowing you're safe

Frankley speaking, I am very ckeptical trafic for large distances, it's hard for me to trevel by car too far :(

white777Frankley speaking, I am very ckeptical trafic for large distances, it's hard for me to trevel by car too far :(

:(

NU3R0_PHYS1C1ST:(

It's weird...so bot-like yet so many spelling errors. Do bots now misspell words all the time to make themselves seem like sloppy humans?

Hit that podcast recommendation thread.

mystery3It's weird...so bot-like yet so many spelling errors. Do bots now misspell words all the time to make themselves seem like sloppy humans?

youd be surprised at how many of these type of posts arent by bots but real people. NS ranks very high on search engines even for non-skiing topics so once in a while you get people that register so they can post without knowing theyre bumping a very old thread.

I am also very skeptical traffic for large distances and it's the same is hard for me to travel too far. Unfortunately, after 30 minutes in the car I'm starting to feel bad. To cut it short, it starts heading, jumps pressure and I feel sick. Moreover, I’ve heard & read the horror stories about the road, and I'm afraid of it. Last year, we moved to California for 3 months with our family friends in the summer house. So, I preferred to fly with family by airplane and send all the goods to threemenandatruck.net till our resting-place then to suffer. Nevertheless, all others made the trip by car. Honestly, I envy them for every time they showed the photos from the journey. Such posts always tease me very much and make me sad because my body could not allow me this.

**This post was edited on Mar 23rd 2020 at 5:21:20am

I moved almost two years ago so I’ll give y’all an update on how it all went.


My bf and I moved cross country together, he got his job first, the day he got accepted for the position we both put in our two weeks. In that time I found a job, housing, and we found a moving company to hire to take our stuff n furniture to California and they estimated they would be at our new place in 7-21 days.

Because we each had our own car, we had to drive separately. I was in my Impreza and he in his 4Runner, we kept all food, toiletries, and clothes for the time we would be in the new place before our things arrived in my car. We left his car empty besides him and the dog and loaded the back with mattress pads and bedding so we could sleep anywhere off the side of the road.

We took walkie talkies on the trip so we could listen to whatever through the radio and we could still talk to each other, and we could chat when we didn’t have cell service. There was one day we went through colorado, and I had my new Impreza five speed (just got the car less than a week before and it was my first manual) and I fell waaaayyy behind. I was lucky if I was doing 40 in an 80 and just trying to stay out of people’s way, definitely my least favorite part of the trip.

We ended up taking HWY 50, the loneliest road in America, straight into California and holy shit that was beautiful. That was the first time I’ve ever seen the desert and there’s nothing quite like driving through completely desolate red sands. But we missed the last rest stop that night at around 1am after driving since 7am that morning. We ended up having to drive for another 3hrs just so we could find a shoulder or turn around to pull off and sleep.

During our time on the loneliest road in America, we stopped off in this ghost town and saw a breakfast place and figured we stretch our legs and check out this cool mining town. As soon as my bf gets out of the car, the dog starts howling, she’s never done that before. We walk up to this restaurant advertising smoothies on the sign outside and push the saloon door open to see half eaten sandwiches on the tables, and the refrigerator door is hanging open and the only thing inside is half a jug of orange juice from years ago. I shit you not, Dream a Little Dream of Me was playing somewhere inside and we could hear people walking around upstairs dragging something. I walked back to the car so fast, we almost pushed over an older couple that got out of their Lexus to check out the restaurant too. We waited in the car for a couple minutes to see if they were gonna leave too, but we didn’t stick around long enough. I’ve seen enough episodes of criminal minds to know that wasn’t a place I wanted to be in.

So we get to our new place, we settle in as much as we can with no stuff, and it ended up taking them 3 months to deliver all of our clothes, mattress, couches, cooking supplies, and tv. If anyone else looks into this thread for moving advice, look into shipping your stuff via train. Really cheap and much more reliable.

At night 50 feels like being on the moon and there are just no lights by the road of any type which makes it super weird. Also a ton of rabbits chilling right in the road I hit a couple. I'm normally the type to swerve but no way I was gonna. I'll take 80 from now on.

connecticuntDuring our time on the loneliest road in America, we stopped off in this ghost town and saw a breakfast place and figured we stretch our legs and check out this cool mining town. As soon as my bf gets out of the car, the dog starts howling, she’s never done that before. We walk up to this restaurant advertising smoothies on the sign outside and push the saloon door open to see half eaten sandwiches on the tables, and the refrigerator door is hanging open and the only thing inside is half a jug of orange juice from years ago. I shit you not, Dream a Little Dream of Me was playing somewhere inside and we could hear people walking around upstairs dragging something. I walked back to the car so fast, we almost pushed over an older couple that got out of their Lexus to check out the restaurant too. We waited in the car for a couple minutes to see if they were gonna leave too, but we didn’t stick around long enough. I’ve seen enough episodes of criminal minds to know that wasn’t a place I wanted to be in.

Sounds like a plot to a horror movie that starts as soon as you guys walk in.