REPOST - Losing Stuff

Because I know we are constantly on the move (and probably will be for a few more years) I try not to have too many personal items. OK, I TRY!

My advice would be to keep your baggage minimal whilst you travel, because it makes it easier to pack up and go, when it is time to move on to your next move.

With most corporate relocations, the company will arrange for your possessions to be boxed and transported, yet, there is still confusion on Move Day as the movers invade your space.

Where does this go? Can we pack up this room? What is staying or going? Have you done the labels?

In between all that, you are struggling to keep an eye on your valuables (children inclusive!) and also ensuring that the really important items (passports, birth certificates etc) are not packed up for shipping.

I'm writing this because I did lose some important documents about 11 years ago and accepting this 'carelessness' has always been a problem for me. 'I'm the organised one' 'I have a foolproof filing system'

I was able to replace them (somewhat) - not in the fancy format they originally came in - rather a printed A4 page that acknowledged that I did own the original at some point. (I have a few awkward moments through the years, trying to prove that the A4 piece of paper is really, an original legal document and not one I printed off at home!)

It's always been a low point in my travels when I think about those documents. What could I have done differently? Where did I keep them? Maybe they are hidden somewhere in one of those boxes that we haven't opened up - yet? Occasionally I go through phases, where I spend the whole day going through boxes, hoping that I will find them. So far, I haven't had much success....

So my advice would be -

a) if you are constantly on the go, keep it lean and mean. If you can't, then rent some storage and keep some of your stuff there.

b) certificates, passports etc are GOLD. Keep them safe!