I’ve finally done it. I moved to Vernon from Salmon Arm last weekend.

After checking out about 10 different places, I found one I liked and am happy to say I’m now one of your fellow Vernonites.

It’s officially my sixth move since 2005. You’d think you’d get accustomed to the process but you really don’t.

Every stop, you add a few new items which then have to be loaded up and packed off to the next place.

I rented a 17-foot U-Haul and needed every square metre of space in it.

That’s partially owing to the fact that I acquired a new bed and couch while living in Salmon Arm but in reviewing the experience, I’ve been inspired to make a visit to the Salvation Army soon with a car load of stuff I’m not using anymore.

I’m filling in for Jennifer Smith while she’s on maternity leave until around next August so jettisoning some things should make it easier when I inevitably make my next move.

Speaking of which, it might be a good idea to hire a moving company then. Yes, it will cost more but it will be worth it. It’s amazing how quickly you come to the end of your fuse with family members when trying to move a 36-inch wide couch through a 35-inch wide doorway.

(That particular task was harder than trying to read my boss Glenn Mitchell’s handwriting. I’m looking at a note here on my desk and it’s truly awful. Thank goodness he e-mails his notes to me most of the time).

Besides the drudgery of the physical act of moving, another negative is I won’t be able to use the “I’m new here” excuse for much longer. It’s come in handy a few times already to plead ignorance when I don’t know where something is or how to get there.

Plus, I now need to find a new place to get a haircut and locate a new dentist. Worse, I had just started getting used to the Salmon Arm TV channels and now I’ve got to learn them all again.

But the benefits of moving to the community where I now work are obvious. Not least of these is my commute to work has been drastically reduced.

Frequent filling of the gas tank was getting old in a hurry.

I think my timing with the move was good too. Now that the clocks have gone back, it would have meant driving in the dark both ways if I’d stuck with commuting.

With snow surely on the way before too long and me having grown up in the Lower Mainland, the less I’m driving in the snow, the better.

And even though I’m still the new guy at work, maybe I won’t be left scratching my head as much now when my co-workers are sharing a laugh about someone that used to work here. So far, I’ve been on the outside of most of these inside jokes.

Because I’ve worked in Vernon for 11 weeks now, I already know my way around town pretty well. Working at a newspaper is a great way to learn a new place and its people in a short period of time.

Still, I haven’t checked out many local restaurants, coffee houses or even a Vipers game as of yet but now that I’m here full time, I’m ready to make up for lost time.

Was moving a hassle?

Yes.

Was it worth it?

Definitely. See you around town.