The 10 Stages of Moving: A Hilariously Accurate Minnesota Breakdown

If you’ve ever moved in Minnesota — or anywhere, really — you know that the process follows a very predictable emotional arc. From giddy excitement to questioning all your life choices, moving is a full-spectrum human experience. Here are the 10 stages, as experienced by every Minnesotan who’s ever signed a lease or closed on a house.

Stage 1: Optimism

“This is going to be so organized. I’ll color-code everything. I’ll pack one box a day for three weeks. It’ll be beautiful.”

Stage 2: The Discovery

You open your storage closet and realize you have accumulated approximately 47 years’ worth of miscellaneous items despite only living there for two. Where did all this stuff COME FROM?

Stage 3: The Negotiation

“Okay, I don’t need three slow cookers. I’ll just keep two. And maybe the other one. All three stay.”

Stage 4: Frantic Box Acquisition

You find yourself at the liquor store at 9 PM asking if they have boxes. This is your life now. The liquor store employee recognizes you from last week.

Stage 5: The First Injury

You stub your toe on a box labeled “misc” in what used to be your living room. It is now a labyrinth of cardboard. You have lost the remote. You have possibly lost a cat.

Stage 6: The Point of No Return

Your kitchen is half-packed, and you’ve been eating cereal without milk for four days because the bowls are in a box somewhere. Moving day cannot come soon enough.

Stage 7: Moving Day Morning

It’s 7 AM. The crew arrives. You are in pajamas. You have not had coffee. You cannot find the coffee maker. (Hint: it’s in a box labeled “kitchen — misc.”)

Stage 8: The Inexplicable Item

Every move surfaces an item you have no memory of owning. A statue. A collection of promotional keychains. A 2003 coupon organizer. You pack it anyway. It will move with you until the end of time.

Stage 9: The Final Walkthrough

The truck is loaded. You do one last walkthrough and find a lonely sock, a half-used candle, and a single shoe. You question everything.

Stage 10: Arrival

The truck pulls up to your new place. The sun is out. The crew is unloading. The chaos is almost over. You smile. You made it. Minnesota nice, indeed.

Skip the Chaos — Call the Pros

We can’t promise you won’t find a mystery item — but we can promise a smooth, professional move that skips most of the drama. 1st Class Moving serves the entire Minneapolis metro with experienced crews who’ve seen it all (including the three slow cookers). Book your move today!