13 Struggles Book-Lovers Have When Moving

Every year for the past seven years, I've moved into a new house or apartment. And each time I do it, it becomes increasingly clear that MOVING IS THE WORST. First of all, finding a place that you want to live in that is both affordable and in a good location is nearly impossible. Between the moving vans, the security deposits, the time off from work, and a million other last-minute expenses, moving puts a sizable dent in your bank account.

But packing is, by far, the most arduous part of the whole ordeal. Wrapping valuables, downsizing your wardrobe, going through your junk drawers — it's so boring and time consuming, I would rather go to the dentist. To put it simply, moving sucks. But moving as a book-lover? Well, that's anotherdimensionof struggle.

As if you don't have enough book nerd problems — you're constantly broke from buying too many books, you can't help but judge people who don't like reading, and even dating has book-related struggles for you — moving comes with a whole new set of problems. Choosing a new place to live in becomes about a million difficult when your book-loving habits and preferences come into play. Roommate selection, apartment location, and ample storage space only scratch the surface of the struggles bibliophiles trying to relocate deal with. Don't even get me started on the actual physical act of moving books. My arms are tired just thinking about it.

Moving is a pain when you have a passion for books, but what is a book-lover supposed to do? You can't be expected to abandon your novels, biographies, and poetry collections like you did that smelly old couch, right? Where you go, your books go, and because of that, there are 13 struggles all book-lovers face when moving. Trust me, I've been there:

First, You Have To Find An Apartment with Suitable Shelving

Ever since you were little, you've imagined one day living in a place with a Belle-like library, books lining the shelves floor-to-ceiling. Now as an adult, you have enough books to fill that space, but you have to find a space like that to fit your books. If you're a city-dweller, you'd be lucky enough to find a place with one flimsy shelf left behind from a previous resident, let alone a full-blown bookcase. It's nearly impossible to find a place with enough storage for your precious collection. Oh well, you never use the oven anyway, right?

Your New Neighborhood Must Have A Bookstore

It would be nice if you could move into an apartment over a coffee shop and live your life like Rachel Green, but your real priority is to find a neighborhood within walking distance of a bookstore. If you can't regularly browse the stacks looking for another book to add to your collection or go to author readings on a whim, then you can't live there. No wonder the place is on the market to begin with, right?!

When It's Time To Pack, You Have To Decide Which Books To Bring With You

You've read most of your books at least twice, but that doesn't mean you won't read them again, right? And you remember packing more than one of these hardcovers up the last time you moved, and you still haven't read them — but you will someday, you swear. Chances are you will end up packing up every single book you own and bringing them from one residence to the next, but you will at least attempt to downsize your collection by making "keep" and "give away" boxes. In the end, though, they'll all make it into the moving van.

So. Much. Dust.

You can be the Mr. Clean of dusting, but it won't matter when it comes to moving your books. You will be covered in dust from your fingers to your clothes. Bookshelves and books themselves are like a magnet for the stuff, and all it takes is moving a few from the shelves to stir up a flurry of dust in the air. Get the tissues ready, because you will be sneezing.

You Will Realize How Many Books You Own But Still Haven't Read

When you're un-shelving your books to get ready to move, you'll reminisce in the the titles you know and love. But what's this, a book you haven't read yet? You don't remember buying it, but you must have wanted to read it at some point. Wait, there's another... and another, and another. It isn't until you have to go through your entire library that you realize there are so many titles you haven't yet read, which makes you want to drop everything and get to it.

Inevitably, You Will Get Distracted while Packing And Start Reading

While trying to sort through your massive collection of books, you're bound to come across an old favorite you forgot about or a book that's still on your TBR pile and flip to the first chapter. You'll tell yourself you will only read a few pages, but three hours later, you're sobbing on the floor, gripping the last page, with a pile of unpacked books around you. When you finally settle down and start packing again, you find another book you can't help but open, and the cycle starts all over again.

You And Your Roommate Have To Figure Out Whose Book Is Whose

It was great living with a fellow book-lover, but now that you're going your separate ways, you have to divvy up the books. It's hard enough remember whose copy of The Bell Jar is whose, but what about the books you bought together? Everyone told you it would be a bad idea to get too committed too soon, but you didn't realize how hard it would be to let go of your roommate and your joint books. And you thought deciding who was keeping the cat would be hard.

When Your Friends Help You Pack, They'll Judge You For Keeping Multiple Copies Of The Same Book

It's great of your pals to help you pack, but you can feel their eyes judging you as they watch you put three copies of Pride and Prejudice into the same box. You know that each one holds sentimental value, and you shouldn't have to explain yourself or your book hoarding to anyone, but it doesn't mean the judgement doesn't sting a little.

It Isn't Easy To Recruit Moving Volunteers Because Your Boxes Are All Too Heavy

Getting people to help you pack isn't too hard, but getting them to help you move? Nearly impossible. All of your friends know what's in those seemingly innocent boxes, and they know just how heavy they are. Last time, your coworker threw out his back carrying your Harry Potter collection up the stairs. After that, no amount of beer and pizza in the world can convince anyone to help you.

You Always Have To Rent A Larger Moving Van Because Your Bookshelves Take Up Too Much Room

Your entire apartment, from bedroom to kitchen, could fit in the back of a pick-up truck, if it weren't for your bookcases, that is. Your bookcases outnumber the amount of chairs you have in your kitchen set and throw pillows you have in your living room, but you can't part with any of them. Good bookcases are hard to come by, and you can't very well take your books' home away from them, can you?

You Have To Find A New Roommate Who Likes Books, Or It Won't Work Out

As if finding a roommate wasn't hard enough as is, the book-lover in you knows you couldn't live with someone who "doesn't like reading." Their schedule may be the complete opposite of yours, they might be a smoker when you aren't, but those are things you can live with. Not liking books? Forget it, it will never work.

You Have To Find A New Library And Get A New Library Card

If you're moving out of town, you have to say goodbye to your old librarian. Warning: it will be emotional. If that isn't hard enough, you'll have to find a new library to go to, a new librarian you can trust, and register for a new library card. Great, more paperwork.

You Have To Wait For Your Security Deposit To Be Returned... So You Can Buy More Books

After you've settled into your new place, you check the mailbox every day for an envelope from your last landlord with your precious security check in it. Sure, you could use new bath mats and a new bed set, but you really just want that money so you can buy more books. Your new place has a little room left in it, and you know exactly how you want to fill the space.

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