Tomorrow is the day. We are saying goodbye to Toronto and hello to Los Angeles. However, moving a family to LA has not been totally smooth sailing. Far from. As with everything in life, I suppose. There’s the good, the bad, and the what the fuck is going on moments.

When I first moved to Toronto almost nine years ago, I truly thought it would be my forever home. But plans change. I actually hadn’t thought I’d be living on the west coast again since New York was my natural next step. Although, now that we’re heading to LA, I’m so excited to be back near the beach and better weather and my family! And finally in a house that we love.

3 Things to Consider When Moving a Family to LA

There is going to be a lot of stuff

And guess what? Moving it all ain’t cheap. I donated dozens of bags and boxes of clothing, homewares, random items. However, we still managed to have 40+ boxes of stuff. How? For starters, when travelling with two babies, there is no way to pack light. There are two cribs and, well, just imagine almost double everything. Plus my husband and I both work in (and love) fashion which means we have quite a hefty wardrobe between the two of us. My dream would be to one day have an entire room just for my closet. Wouldn’t that be sensational?

Everything that could go wrong probably will

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but it’s kind of true. And isn’t it better to plan for the worst and then be pleasantly surprised if and when things turn out all peachy and wonderful? First of all, packing up our 2-bedroom apartment with twins was incredibly hectic. Thankfully we had movers come to do the heavy lifting. (No pun intended.) Then, getting to our Airbnb was an adventure. One Uber driver refused to take us because we had “too many bags” and even though we said we were ordering two cars, he walked away and left us hanging. And finally, just when we thought things would be calm at our temporary Toronto home, things went to shit there too. Long story short, I am so done with renting other people’s short-term homes.

READ MORE: House Hunting in New York and Los Angeles

Have a back-up plan ready to go

We were (and are) totally obsessed with the place we initially rented. However, it turned out to be a less than ideal situation. We ended up having to scramble to find a new rental as soon as possible. And why is that? Because we didn’t have a back-up plan. We didn’t think we needed one. In hindsight, some red flags were there but we ignored them. Sucks for us! However, it all worked out for the best because the place we found is a total dream come true. We’re so excited to move in and begin our new Los Angeles life.

READ MORE: I Bought a One-Way Ticket to a City I'd Never Been To

I’d love to know about your experience moving a family to LA. Or wherever! Where is the farthest place you’ve moved your family? Let me know in the comments below.

Talk soon, from the sunny shores of Los Angeles. Mwah! And don’t forget, if you’re in LA you can shop for The Manhattan Mishap at Book Soup on the Sunset Strip.

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