Yumi, you have my sympathy! I know what it's like; when Eliott and I came to San Francisco, he moved first and got a job. I ended up having to move almost all of our stuff (we are BOTH pack-rats) and I can tell you, it was sheer hell. I had family and friends come over to help. The more I packed, more STUFF appeared.

My mom would ask if I needed any more help, and I would say that everything was under control and that I was almost done. Of course, when my parents and one of my brothers and his wife came to help load the truck, there were still a few hours of packing left to do.

Everyone was mad, but managed to keep it to themselves till it was over. I, in turn, was furious with Eliott (when in doubt, blame someone who isn't there!). Betsy and I had fun marking his boxes "Eliott's Junk" and "Eliott's Worthless Shit," for which he was understandably miffed. Poor guy, he felt guilty enough, but he couldn't get the time off work to come down and help - he had already taken time off to go to his stepbrother's funeral.

In any case, once we got up north (me in my car, my mom with two screaming cats in their van and my dad driving the 15-foot Ryder truck), Eliott only had two friends who helped us unload (one of whom actually came back the next day for more!). It was a back-breaking experience! Eliott worked as the temporary apartment manager there, and when the manager resumed his duties, we had to move AGAIN!! What did we do to deserve this?!!? We must be masochists or something!

The second move went a little easier, as we had dumped a lot of stuff, though we still have more than our share. We had also accumulated furniture (unwanted things people in the other complex had left behind - I'm good at picking up other people's junk!). We've relieved ourselves of even more stuff since. I keep telling myself, "I AM a minimalist! I AM a minimalist!"

I won't even go into the traumas of looking for a job in San Francisco in the midst of a recession. Just know that I am a graphic designer/desktop publisher currently answering phones for Pacific Bell Directory's Accounting and Finance department (though we do get a discount on our phone bill!). That should tell all.