THE 7
RANS1 ¢
ENT'S GUIDE To LowER MAINLAND wn

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| didn't choose the title of vagabond—rather, it was chosen—for me.

Throughout 2016 wire | was " my final year of postsecondary Oe wow

times‘ It hadn't been intentional. Wasn't sitting there on New Year's Eve :

eat upon a resolution to move as many times as there are square meals in a TO SURVIVE
day. And yet, a new personal-high score for moving was set. your NEXT MOVE
The first move was a heartbreaking renoviction, where a landlord evicts the tenants AND T ’
to conduct renovations and (assumiedly) jack up the rent. The second move was by HE NEXT ONE,

choice, after my aca roommate repeatedly left the door to our basement suite ANO THE NEXT ONE

unlocked, even after T was robbed. Frustrated and owning several electronic devices
fewer than | had when | moved into the place, | put the Inajority of my things ips
n

storage, and retreated to a sublet. The third move was to m current place,

marked the end of what many of my friends referred to as hy year a vagabond. BY SACEY oIBB,
It's not like my transient lifestyle is uncommon amon st young people. Almost

everyone | kno has moved tl least once in the last oVeat Fncluding my good DISTRIBUTION
friend and former Other Press Life & Style editor Sophie [sbister. MANAGER

"| would sometimes move into situations that were less than ideal because ! was
experiencing home insecurity," said Isbister, who has tied my high score of three
moves in one year. “When you're concerned about having a root over your head

at all, yout just pick any roof [..] My mom used to accuse me of picking the very
first place that | looked at. and she’s‘ right. That's probably why I've had to move so
much, but you kind of just have to pick the first place that isnt absolutely horrible."
In total, {'ve moved seven times in the last seven years. Across provincial borders,
from Vancouver to Burnaby and then back to Vancouver. to basically down the
street. I've acquired and dismantled enough moving boxes to build a formidable
kingdom, and |'m still in my 20s.

With a housing market as volatile as the one here in the Lower Mainland, movin
frequently is simply a way of life. Rent at your current place will increase out 0

your budget. properties will switch hands,’and landlords will hand out renoviction
notices, dr maybe you'll outgrow the mouldy basement suite you were nay
thankful to find. NO one enjoys the process of moving—theré's even a word Tor
that: tropophobia, or the fear moving or makin cans: ut I've assembled
advice from myself and a couple other part-time vaga onds to help you get through
your next move, oF several.

   

    

 

 

 

} N\ \

 

 

With the date of an upcoming move saved i A
calendar, one of the fist uestions you need oe Peres
. if you hi gong to ask friends to help you move. y
5 an awkward situation to be in. Even
pou rather be doing anything else on heit test ot pals
he ping you lug your personal ea s from one location
ip a ler, but Chances are they will because that's how
riendships work. Or you can do what Isbister did back in the
early 2000s, and turn to the Internet for support.

“One time, all of these people helped me m 4
t ove an
net them before,” recalled isbister. “| had tons of aa
ene on this blo ging website, LiveJournal, and lots of
them lived in Vancouver but we'd never met up. I'd twisted
my ae and | was moving out of my boyfriend’s place after
é if Peta so | put olt on my LiveJournal that | needed
elp, hoping that some of my friends that | knew in-person
would help, but these people that | only knew through
LiveJournal came out and they totally helped me move.”

A simple post on social media ac ill suffici
count will sufficiently get
the word out that you need help, but di ing 4 £0
} , but direct
of close friends is ust as ete Y asking a Couple

If you're not moving a ton of things and you’ i
ou're able-b
tdrecommend suc ing it up, askitg to aera a Hons
Me or SUV, and complete the move in a few solo trips
you own a lot of stutf (including heavier items), then
you might need to enlist a friend or two to aid you. Just
remember that if someone helps you move, you're legall
obligated to treat them to pizza and beer as a thank-your