One of the most difficult and emotional aspects of moving is saying goodbye to friends and family. There are friends with whom you have weekly coffee dates, your mother who is used to seeing her grandchildren often, or coworkers with whom you have grown professionally. The nature of these relationships is about to change, and there is often a bit of tension in the air.

How to Deal with Goodbyes

Here are a few moving tips for coping with goodbyes and for maintaining your relationships:

1. Get a Head Start: If possible, notify your friends and family of your move as early as possible. That way, everyone has time to prepare and savor time together.
2. Skip the Large Party: When saying goodbye to many friends and family, it is not best to throw a large goodbye party. Most people feel a bit overwhelmed when trying to have meaningful goodbyes with multiple people on one occasion, and you may only end up having a few hurried words with people. Rather, you should try to host a few smaller get-togethers (or perhaps even some one-on-one coffee dates). This will make coping with goodbyes easier.
3. Seek Advice: Talk to other people who have moved to get their advice and any moving tips they have to offer. What strategies were effective for keeping in contact with friends? Did they set aside a specific time each week to make phone calls, write letters or send emails to people back home? Did they put together a scrapbook or frame photos for friends before leaving to remind them how much their relationship meant? Did they bake their father's favorite banana cake before leaving? Small things to show how much you care can go a long way.
4. Swap Addresses: As soon as the logistics of your move are confirmed and you have a place to live, make sure to give out your new address. Put together a list of your friends' mailing addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, and put that list in a safe place to avoid getting lost in the move.
5. Arrange Visits: Make it a point to invite friends to come to visit you, and if they do, you can explore your new hometown together. Coping with goodbyes is a whole lot easier when "goodbye" is actually "see you later."
6. Keep Everyone Updated: Send email updates throughout the moving process. Because you are going to be so busy during the initial phase of settling in, sending out mass emails is a great way to help everyone feel connected (and it can also be therapeutic for you to write these thoughts and reflections on your big change!)
7. Vary Modes of Communication: Once you are settled in, meet friends and family at their primary communication medium. If you have a younger sister who uses Facebook to communicate, it may be worth it for you to use Facebook to keep in contact with her, even if you are not a huge fan of the site. It may mean a lot to her to go on her page and comment on the photos of her latest trip to Ireland. There are others, such as a grandmother, for whom a phone call is the primary way of communicating. Better yet, an old-fashioned letter may be what makes your grandmother feel the most connected to you. Do your best to fashion your way of communicating to each individual.