Transporting Memories, Relieving Hardships

Submitted by Nina C. Dixon on 07/19/2019

My family is from the Virgin Islands and with this comes many benefits, as well as many hurdles. There is a constant concern for the access to quality resources and the methods of obtaining these items. The need for proper transport is paramount, the possibility of mistreatment when sending personal items overseas is very high. The decision to move from the islands to the states was a choice my parents made in order to provide for their future family. This came with many more opportunities and the possibility that their children's future will be open to many paths.

However, with relatives still on the island there is a lot of back and forth sharing of goods that is required, and the ability to do so safely is needed. There has been more than one occasion where the transport of a vehicle from one part of the country to the surrounding territories has been unavoidable, but the methods of this was under question. Finding the proper team and a company that could be trusted was a challenge. The first instance was under the responsibility of my grandmother. She worked tirelessly to find the proper way to manage the vehicle, in order to ensure that it made it to its destination without harm. Not only did the vehicle have to be shipped from the island to the states, but it later had to be sent from the port to Virginia.

This was a very stressful experience, though the outcome was successful, there were many intermittent steps that transpired that could have been avoided. The contacting of the proper staff to move the vehicle, and the travel from state to state were far Dixon 2 from easy to configure. If the companies available had been open and reliable without the needed check ups at every instance and event, the overall experience would not have been as daunting. With this past altercation weighing on our minds my family had very little desire for transporting another vehicle. However, after the devastating hurricanes that hit the Caribbean Islands in 2017, there was no choice but to reevaluate our options.

There were many members of my family that had no alternative but to travel inland, to get away from encompassing ruin. The survival conditions were horrible, and the level of safety provided was very lackluster. With this came the necessity of transportation, for their personal belongings and for their families. There were more people within our home, and we had to decide how everyday movement of each person were to transpire. The house that I lived in went from four to ten people in a matter of a couple of weeks. Each person had no choice but to find varying methods of getting from point A to point B. After a considerable amount of time we came to the realization that rental cars would not be enough for the foreseeable future. Each family, wanting their vehicles from home, now had to move these cars to their current location.

The choice to ship them was a long winded decision when it came to how we would achieve this. With our past experience we knew that it would be a hassle. There were many conversations between those that had stayed back and those that were in the states. It was a question of whether this would be possible at all, considering the devastation at the time. Who would have time and the resources to ship these goods? Leaving your home after a major storm like this does not come with a great amount of planning, and leads to many personal possessions being left behind. Whether you have someone to care for these assets while you are away or not, this is heartbreaking.

You have already survived such a catastrophic storm, you are leaving your Dixon 3 home and now the many forms of memories and gifts have no choice but to be set aside. Cherished items, different degrees of possessions, heirlooms or gifts from loved ones, are now in the hands of others. The very prospect of them being mistreated is an occurrence that the owner is far them likely to allow. Managing your personal items is a stressor, and on such short notice taking everything is now impossible. With such constraints and little access to means of movement many things were shipped upon arrival. Each family had different concerns and a laundry list of tasks. Each child was in need of entering into public school system, this being a complicated matter in the middle of the year.

Not only that, but finding means of employment for the parents was a challenge with such little warning. The burden of moving all of their personal items was the last conflict that anyone wanted to face. In the midst of such a hard time a careful associate with the proper means would have led to far less dread and little need to fret. Individual problems were already stacked, and this would have been decreased with the knowledge that their personal belongings were not a concern. Knowing of a company that could provide all of the assistance required, with the added benefit of guaranteed quality service, would have been a striking contrast.

A company with no demand for following thoughts, or constant check ups, to ensure that what was needed would follow through, sounds eye opening. Storms like these, or related accidents, are so unexpected and one has no idea how to prepare until experiencing it first hand. Moving such large quantities usually comes with prior knowledge and the schedule of a series of months to prepare. By far the vehicles, maintenance, checkpoints, licensing, and regulations to meet, were the hardest in these circumstances and any help would have been welcomed.

Treasured items like these should not weigh on families, at Dixon 4 times of rebuilding and reshaping their lives. Personal belongings should provide joy rather than plight, pleasure and fond memories rather than further calamity and grief. In hindsight, replaying all of the events that occurred, I should have completed these tasks using different resources. Doing the research and finding a reliable company, would have placed us in a far better position. Learning through experience gives an inside vantage point to what one truly does not want. This was a demonstration of future inevitable struggles, and the way to move past them, discovering the many possibilities within reach.

Submitted by Nina C. Dixon on 07/19/2019