You don’t even know half of our moving-day adventure. We skimmed over the details earlier because we wanted to show you empty shots of our old place and photos of the new house’s interior, but this story deserved to be told. So buckle up and get ready: as we mentioned earlier, the day began with an unexpected snowstorm. Even though it wasn’t Friday the thirteenth, that Monday felt every bit as unlucky—definitely the last thing you want on closing and moving day.
The snow was beautiful, but it also triggered a chain of frustrating events. It knocked out power at our attorney’s office, which slowed down communications and made completing the closing on schedule difficult—one reason our closing was pushed to Tuesday. But that delay was nothing compared to what happened next:
Our 26-foot U-Haul ended up in a ditch, blocking two lanes of traffic. Even worse, it was the ditch at the end of the driveway of the house we had just sold. That meant the truck was stuck on someone else’s property, less than an hour before the new owners were due to return with the keys. The truck was even leaning against their mailbox, which we feared we had crushed.
Here’s how it unfolded. Sherry and the kids were waiting at my sister’s house while I stayed behind for the buyers’ final walk-through of our old home. The walk-through went smoothly; the buyers and their agent left, and I followed in the big truck that held everything we owned. By the time I started down the road, they were already too far ahead to see what happened. I blame several factors: trying to avoid letting the truck’s front end slip into the opposite ditch, snow concealing the driveway edge, and my inexperience driving a huge truck.
Of course Sherry remembers the scene as a short phone play:
JOHN: Hey Sherry. Walk-through went fine. They’re off to close and I’m headed to the new house.
SHERRY: Okay, be very careful. It’s snowy—take your time, even if people honk.
JOHN: I will. Don’t worry.
SHERRY: Great. I just don’t want you ending up in a ditch or anything.
[Phone call drops. A beat later.]
JOHN: Crap, the truck’s in a ditch and I think I knocked over the mailbox.
SHERRY: You’re kidding, right?
At the time it felt catastrophic. I pictured everything inside the truck shattered, or having to wait hours for a tow while the new owners arrived with the keys. Fortunately none of those worst-case scenarios came true. The mailbox hadn’t fallen over, and the contents of the truck survived. The back ramp did give way about 18 inches when the truck slipped, so it was a relief that our belongings, including fragile items, were intact.
The tow truck arrived surprisingly fast—within about half an hour, which felt miraculous given the storm and the number of other stranded vehicles. Once we were free, I carefully drove the truck at a crawl to the new house, then called the new owners’ agent to accept responsibility for the mailbox post, which had cracked. Between the tow and the mailbox repair, the total came to $185. Not ideal, but far better than a delayed closing, broken valuables, injury, or a more expensive repair.
That ordeal made finally settling into the new house feel even sweeter. After a day of unexpected setbacks, getting the keys and walking into our new home felt like the payoff for making it through a chaotic moving day.
To top the day off, I surprised Sherry that evening with a small housewarming gift I’d ordered weeks earlier from an Etsy shop she’d noticed: a delicate gold turtle necklace. The turtle’s symbolism—steadfastness, patience, and always feeling at home—seemed perfect as we moved from one house to another. It was a thoughtful reminder that home follows you, no matter the address.
And for one last bit of serendipity: our truck happened to have a large turtle decal on it the day it got stuck. Coincidence? Maybe. A small, reassuring sign after a stressful day? Definitely.
So that’s the story of Monday the 13th—the kind of moving-day tale you don’t forget. Take it as a warning and a comfort: even when things go sideways, you can still end up exactly where you’re meant to be.