Let me preface this by saying that I am not a military kid, but I did move quite a bit. In these past two months I have moved 3 times. Moved, not just visited or vacationed somewhere, really really moved as in almost all the clothes I own and all my stuff being packed up and going to a new destination. Now this may sound sinister, like I’m running from the law or something, but the truth is far more boring. I moved out of state for college and now my dad and step-mom are moving as well and I am helping with that transition. During this season of change (and not being autumn) I’ve learned these five things:

1. Pack light, you can survive off of essentials if you’re not picky enough.

Packing is a skill that is underrated, but is extremely useful when needing to move without stress. If you can pack things quickly and efficiently then there’s less of a chance of forgetting things and makes it easier to unpack later.

2. Staying in touch with friends is difficult but worth it.

When some friends are in different time zones and others are working and you’re all living life, it can get pretty difficult to easily catch up like you did before. However, if you have great friends, like me, they will be understanding of your situation and the moments you do talk will be filled with stories and things you have to catch them up on.

3. Get in touch with your hobbies and dive into them because well, why not?

Summer is a great time to be able to destress before heading back school and diving into classes and work and clubs again. Summer can be filled with work or summer classes as well, but generally summer is a season to kick back and relax a little. So if you do have free time, enjoy getting in touch with your passions. Read, cook, watch movies that you’ve been meaning to, work out, whatever you want, throw yourself into it and have fun getting to know yourself more.

4. Rely on family, they will always have your back.

Moving is not easy and not always fun so having family to accept your crappy mood and being able to trust those around you is very comforting. When you have to constantly pack up your life, it can be an unsettling event but having family every step of the way makes things a million times easier.

5. Sleep early, you can and you should so again, why not?

Ahh sleep, I almost forgot who you were old friend. During school, sleep can feel more and more unattainable, but as humans we need sleep. So now that I’m not really close to any friends or family, I have less reasons to stay up at night besides the tantalizing allure of Netflix. I now try to sleep earlier and have more of a routine so that the transition to classes won’t be as difficult.