When I left you last, we’d just had our PODS container delivered but I wasn’t quite ready to fill it up.

Interestingly, the day after we got our container, I walked the dog as usual in the morning. As I turned the first corner, I could see another PODS container several blocks ahead.

And then as we turned towards home, I noticed that the neighborhood church now had TWO containers on their parking lot. Were we all becoming PODS people? It would seem so!

I worked hard for about a week, going through our belongings, throwing away what we didn’t need, and finally began loading my container the following week. I started to worry. Would I need more than one container? I’m so glad I didn’t order the 12 foot container. What will I do if I need another container?

This worry was compounded by the fact that I had ordered a 20 yard dumpster for the cleaning out process but they didn’t have one so I ordered, and ended up filling, a 40 yard dumpster! Had I underestimated?

As it turned out, I probably could have gotten away with the 12 foot container. I have plenty of room left to store things. Better to have too much room than not enough!

When I knew I was going to be ready to have the container picked up, I called PODS. I was able to arrange to have them come on Friday like I had hoped. I packed the last few things, locked it up, and she was ready to go.

The driver came and called me before he arrived so I was waiting for him. It was storming really badly but I got a video of the whole pick up. So cool!

I’m not sure why that made me sad but I know that I am HAPPY to be a PODS person.

I spent 24 years of my married life trying to stay out of Oklahoma. Oklahoma is the home of cowboys; OSU Cowboys and all kinds of other cowboys. Apparently, it’s also the home of aliens.

Bartian is the alien-type name that the residents of Bartlesville give themselves. Since living here, I’ve laughingly referred to myself as a Bartian to the unsuspecting listener just to see their reaction. Now, my season as a Bartian is coming to an end and we have moved on to our next alien-style designation: PODS people.

We had been planning our move to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the idea that we would keep our Bartlesville home as a landing spot for returns to the USA. As happens often in life, however, our plans changed when the unexpected occurred. The Friday before the Fourth of July, a man came to our door and offered to buy our house. As our home remains the only one standing on our side of the block in downtown Bartlesville, I knew it was a possibility that somewhere down the road someone would want to develop the block and would approach us to sell our house.

The timing couldn’t have been better as I was starting to wrap my head around who would maintain the yard, adding security to both houses, etc.

But now, I had another problem: what would I do with all of our “stuff”?

As I walked around the neighborhood, I noticed that the First Assembly of God Church had a PODS container sitting in their parking lot. Hmmm, this could work! I could have them bring me the container, I could load it up, and have them take it back and store it. Awesome!

The first thing I did was go to the PODS website.  I requested a quote for a 12’ container. They sent me a quote for both the 12’ and 16’ containers which was great because I ended up getting the 16’ container and it was nice to have all of the information to make a decision.

I didn’t make my decision straight away. I know I’m moving but still not completely sure of the timing. PODS did not harass me to make a decision! Love it. I think I received only one more email from them after the two quotes. When I was ready to make a decision, I called and spoke to a very knowledgeable lady. She had used the PODS containers twice before herself and was getting ready to use one again. It was kind of like the cherry on top to hear an actual personal experience.

She was patient in helping me to understand every part of the process and we made a scheduled delivery. Prior to the delivery, I received another email confirming when they would arrive.

I had arranged to have the driver place the container in the area where we park our cars. I was hoping that if he put it far enough to the right, we’d still be able to park both cars and the PODS container in the three car parking configuration.

The driver came as scheduled. I had to video the process because it was the just the coolest thing. I’m weirdly fascinated by odd mechanical devices.

Once he had the container down, I asked him if he could move it a little further to the right which he did. The container and the cars all fit! Yay!

It’s going to be a little while before I start to fill the container. I realized that I may have gotten the cart before the horse and am not ready yet to fill it. But the good news is I don’t have to be in a hurry.

So far, I really like being a PODS person.

Exhibit A: pea pods. At least, I think those are peas. Those come up very high in a Google Images search result set for “PODS.” Statistically, I have to think that more people enjoy eating peas than soybeans. Edamame, I’d have thought, would be a more popular search result.

Exhibit B: Apparently, these are a brand of candy named “Pods” created by Mars, Inc only available in Australia. I certainly haven’t ever heard of them, much less had one, but I’m also not at the candy forefront. Despite that, I felt that this was important to show still because they look, to put it plainly, crazy delicious. If anyone has indeed tried these, perhaps any of our Australian readers, please comment below. I might have to check them out.

If you thought you’d make it through this blog without seeing an escape pod, you’ve got another thing coming. If you were convinced you’d see an escape pod, I aim to please.

Exhibit C: an escape capsule from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Let it be known that escape pods are not necessary when moving cross country with PODS. Moving with PODS is a snap.

Disclaimer: You may want to consider an escape pod if you decide to use a PODS competitor.

To inquire about any accessories mentioned above or to see which accessories are available at the location you’re renting from, please contact the PODS call center at 800-776-PODS (7637).

As well, save money by buying the boxes (link: http://www.podsboxes.com/)  the professionals use and pack your belongings yourself (Packing tips link here) so you know your belongings receive the care they deserve.

Moving is something that will happen, sure as death and taxes. Whether it’s to take advantage of a new position in another city, a growing family or a job promotion, everyone moves.

And as your family grows or your career requires more responsibility, moving tends to get more complex and stressful – the last thing you want to have to deal with. It’s no longer an afternoon with a buddy’s truck, a few pals to help with the heavy lifting, and then a few beers. Moving a household, across town or across the nation, requires planning, dedication, and patience to make it come off right.

Here is where PODS – Portable On Demand Storage – can step in to help make your move less stressful. PODS takes care of the early planning for your move – allowing you to pack and store at your own pace.

Keep your eyes on our blog for tips on moving and storage. We’ll offer ideas on simplifying your move, de-cluttering your home and news on PODS innovations.