Taking Stock

After all that sitting and waiting, I actually made some progress toward our move today. I received an email from HR at the Guangzhou Consulate. For new hires moving domestically to Washington, D.C., a contracted travel agent will make all arrangements for their travel and shipments. But for new hires moving from outside the U.S., we are supposed to manage all travel through our local consulate. For us, that is the consulate in Guangzhou - about an hour west of Shenzhen.

I got an email from the consulate this afternoon, copying the shipping company and the travel agent. They can write nothing in pen until our travel orders come through, but they're more than happy to put everything down in pencil today. So, I began to fill out a very handy little form. It asked what date I'd like to move out, and which date I'd like my things to arrive in D.C. It asked when I would prefer to do our pre-move survey, and what value I would place on our shipment.

This gave me pause, and so I pulled out my little household inventory. I already have my list put together of what will go with us to D.C., and what will go into storage for the next year. I compared my list to my inventory, and realized that my inventory is woefully inadequate.

In this lifestyle, a complete inventory is worth our shipment's weight in gold. We will insure our shipment privately - because ships do sink, pirates do rob, and boxes do go missing when you're facing multiple global moves. I need to know what we have, and how much it is worth.

But beyond simple insurance claims forms, both now and when we go to post. We have things flying with us to the states, and things flying to meet us in DC. We have things moving from storage in Chicago to storage in Washington. We have things moving into our brand new mini-van (which I am so looking forward to!) and following us all the way home. And we have things going straight from our home into storage, never to be seen until we call for them.

And when we call for them, it will not be by digging through neatly arranged and opened boxes. When I decide that I'd like to take my food processor with me to Cuba, I need to send an email to the appropriate person telling them that I would like them to please ship box #52.

Hence the inventory. So, here's my plan. My current life is full of helper friends, which I adore. I'm going to take advantage of every one of them on the day the movers arrive. I'll print off a number of copies of my inventory, and place each friend in a room with a copy. They'll keep watch on their assigned movers, making note of where every one of my items ends up. Maybe they can even recommend that the glass bowls be more securely wrapped.

And then, if you want to have some fun, you can begin to quiz me on where each of my things are. It'll be a much more exciting game at the end of March. I am willing to bet that I could account for every single item I own.