After living in Chicago for two years, my husband and I, our daughter, and two cats drove out of the city, onto our next endeavor. As many of you know, my husband is in the military, and we have lived in various locations over the last 5 years. From Georgia to New York to Chicago and now Arizona. Growing up, I never thought I’d have the opportunity to live in so many places. It is hard to be away from family, friends, and our TenBridge community, but it has been a wonderful opportunity to see the country.

Chicago brought us many great things during our time there. It was a never-ending pleasant surprise. Among many special moments, a few stand-outs include:

• I passed my CFP® exam and became a Certified Financial Planner® professional.
• Had a beautiful baby girl, Amelia Rosana Crum.
• Experienced wind like I never have before.
• Ate amazing food (coming from Portland’s food scene that is saying something).
• Welcomed many visitors, saw comedy shows, attended soccer games and concerts, walked on the 606 trail and through charming neighborhoods, and so much more.

Believe it or not, there are many similarities between moving and financial planning. I just so happen to be an expert at both! As we embarked on our fourth cross country move in the last five years, there were many components to plan.

Before having Amelia, we used to pack our belongings and move ourselves. Since she was only a few months old when we moved this time, we decided to let the military move us. Although we’ve moved many times, we’ve never had the military move us, which made the experience a little nerve-wracking. We’ve heard horror stories of military moves and hoped it would all work out well. Whether you’ve been through the financial plan before or are new to it – we understand it can be daunting to work through the process. 

When planning for the move, we started by making a list of everything we needed to do. Everything we needed to coordinate, pack ourselves, and clean. As the days passed and we checked off our “to-do’s”, our list shrank bit by bit. It always feels so good to check off your to-do’s, whether it’s placing that life insurance policy, completing your estate plan, or finishing up packing. 

Since it can take the movers weeks to deliver your household goods after you get to your new spot, we decided to rent a U-Haul trailer and attach it to the back of my SUV so we could take certain necessities until the rest of our belongings arrived. We also asked my mother-in-law and our friend to help us with the drive since we’d still have to move our two vehicles. These decisions were made with the intention of setting ourselves up for success and reducing potential setbacks.  

One thing I’ve learned in life, but especially as a military spouse, is to always be ready to pivot. Plans can change on a dime, and it’s important to have back-up plans or ride the waves as they come. One way we implement this philosophy in the financial plan is by using the “What If” scenarios to know how potential threats may impact you, and steps we can take to protect you so you ride the bumps in your path without worry.  

Most of our move went according to plan. One thing I was anxious about was how my 5-month-old would do sitting in the car for hours on end, days in a row. We hadn’t ever done a road trip like this before, and she hadn’t been the best in the car. I made sure to prepare as best I could, but all my worries were unnecessary as she was an absolute rock star!! We stopped every couple hours for a feed and diaper change, but otherwise she would sleep and play while we drove. She also loved listening to her nursery rhymes, and I can certainly repeat them all from memory now. 😊 Planning for the worst can help protect and prepare us, even if the worst doesn’t come to pass. 

Overall, our move went swiftly, until the fourth day of our drive. It started out well; we were out of our Airbnb early and making good time going through New Mexico. Then as we passed through a little town smack dab in the middle of nowhere, the U-Haul trailer tire blew out.

It was Sunday and nothing was open. The desert was so desolate I thought the Road Runner was going to speed by! Beep, beep! Since U-Haul doesn’t issue spare tires for their trailers, we ended up getting a repair truck dispatched from Albuquerque which was about 2.5 hours away. It ended up taking the repair truck four hours to arrive since he’d been responding to another call.

While my daughter was doing an incredible job sitting in her car seat while we drove each day, I knew she wouldn’t be happy if we sat on the side of the highway for hours. So, my MIL, the baby, and I drove on – leaving my husband and our friend behind with the SUV and trailer. While it was a long day, inconvenient, frustrating, and even a little scary for them to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, they eventually got on the road and to our destination for the night. This story is a good example of how we use the financial plan to anticipate potential threats and know you’ll be okay if a curveball is thrown your way. While we couldn’t have anticipated the tire blowing out, we prepared in advance by making sure to purchase roadside assistance and bringing a co-driver along. My husband had a friend to keep him company, which made me feel better about leaving him behind.

Finally, we made it to our new home in Arizona, and our belongings arrived the next day even though they weren’t supposed to arrive for another few weeks. In reflection, we probably could have avoided the whole trailer situation if we’d known our belongings would arrive in a timely manner. Though you never really know what will happen, all you can do is plan so you’re prepared no matter what comes your way. 

If you ever need any moving tips – I’m your gal! My number one tip is to make a plan and be prepared for things to go astray. Hopefully it all works out perfectly, but if it doesn’t, you’ll be ready. Being prepared is your best strategy whether you are planning a cross-country move or securing your financial wellbeing.

About TenBridge Partners

TenBridge Partners is an independent financial planning and investment management firm based in Portland, Oregon with a simple focus of honoring the fiduciary responsibility of putting clients first. Guiding with curiosity and trusted expertise, we empower people to live their unique story with financial clarity and confidence.

Planning is central to everything we do. Our focus is on a complete understanding of your needs through the financial planning process, putting your success at the heart of our work.

We strive to create a community where financial planning feels fun, dynamic, and human.

Sirra Anderson Crum CFP®
Financial Planner

The information contained in this correspondence is intended for general educational purposes only and as a means for facilitating a conversation.  Please consider our door always open to discuss your particular situation and how this information might benefit you and fit your specific needs.