Johannesburg, 16 Nov 2021
You’re in the cloud, whew you did it, you have arrived… Uh, not quite. See, moving to the cloud is more a step and not a final destination. Moving to the cloud is very much like moving to another country and there is far more complexity to it than the actual move.
Let’s run with the analogy of moving country and unpack this further:
Here you are, at your weekly braai, and the topic of conversation is: “The great big trek.” Sure, you are not entirely happy living where you are, all your friends are moving, and you know that there are bigger, better things overseas, but is it all worth the hype?
Just as you drift off into thought, you are rudely brought back to reality with Nancy repeating herself... “I said, when are you guys going to move? I mean if you love your family, you can’t wait any longer!”
You ponder on this a bit more. Moving, wow, it's a big step. You have lived here your whole life, is it really that bad? At least you know the complications here – rather the devil you know, right? But then again, the kids will have better opportunities to keep up to date with the latest technologies if you move, they can thrive in a new world where things just well… work. You do love your car, and it certainly gets you from A to B just fine, but if you are honest, it’s getting on a bit, maybe the pay per use transport will be better? A car is a depreciating asset after all and you should only really pay when you drive the car, it makes sense. Finally, you have put up new security cameras around the house, but your neighbour was broken into just the other day, that might be the sign you have needed all along?
A week later, your wife comes home from her yoga-coffee date with Nancy and all of a sudden, the move is happening, and now, your choice has been made... Now what?
So many things to consider. Which country do you want to move to? They all have their differences, but which is the best for your family? How long do you have before you need to move? Are you going to try to pack yourself or is it better to get movers who do this all the time? You look around the house and see a whole bunch of things, it might be best to get rid of this clutter, like things you don’t use or those that are outdated. Why is this suddenly so scary!
Moving day and the movers come and help you pack. “So glad we chose to do it this way,” you think to yourself. How do you still have so much stuff even after throwing away all the junk? Your son reminds you that his Xbox better be up and running the instant you land at your new spot. Your dog is happily wagging his tail, oblivious to what’s going on, and your wife is quality controlling every step the movers make. You look over at your family, and the house you’ve lived in for so long, and can’t help feeling a bit sad. You know this is the right move, but change is never easy. Eventually, it’s all packed, and the van is on its way…you let out a sigh and hope nothing breaks!
A few days later, in the new country, your new home, unpacking all your possessions and it hits you like a ton of bricks… this was not the final stop, this was just the beginning! There are so many other things to tackle to make sure your new home is, well, home.
This is a new environment with new rules; it's going to take some time to familiarise yourself with your surroundings and it will make sense to find some friends quickly to help you out. You know, those who know all the nuances, like where the schools are, how to find the shops, what to avoid and what not to miss (like the local hangout). Where are the bus stops, and what time do they run? Yeah, this is going to take some time, months even, before you are fully settled. One thing I can promise, though, is that once you are settled, you will see that it was the best thing you could ever have done, and your family will thrive.
Now, as much as the "migrating to another country" analogy seems like a great fit for a cloud move, the truth is moving to the cloud is far less stressful and certainly not as rigid as moving country. The beauty of cloud, really, is that you can move anywhere you want, at any time, for as long (or as little) as you choose – even minutes. Heck, you can test out a few countries at once, or even spread your family across the world (not ideal for an actual family). Cloud gives you a chance to test the waters, so to speak, which a real life immigration would not. I do still believe, however, that you really do need to take the time to think through the steps you are going to take.
Moving, by any stretch of the imagination, is not always fun, and for any level of success, the key takeaway is this:
- Do your homework – make sure wherever you move to, it is the right fit for your family.
- Get movers to help with the heavy lifting, trust me!
- Only move what you must (clutter just complicates things).
- Plot it out – have a plan and realistic timeline you can work towards.
- Once in the environment, don’t be afraid to get help. Those that know the place best will speed up the settling phase.
- Remember that this may be the best move of your life, so embrace the change.
- Your wife is always right, you really should go cloud.
So, next time you are at that braai and Nancy raises her eyebrow at you, say to her that you are not “lifting and shifting” your family anywhere in a rush, you are taking your time to set your family up for long-term success and, when you do move, there won’t be a move back, with your tail between you legs, and Trevor saying: “Told you boet, you should have just stayed.”
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