AEE 2339: Moving? How to Connect in English Over This Stressful Moment

Summary

All Ears English Podcast: Episode 2339 Summary

Title: AEE 2339: Moving? How to Connect in English Over This Stressful Moment
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan
Release Date: January 14, 2025

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In Episode 2339 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the universally stressful experience of moving. They explore how this significant life event can serve as a potent topic for practicing and enhancing English conversational skills, especially for ESL learners. The episode not only discusses the emotional and logistical challenges of moving but also introduces essential vocabulary and practical role-play scenarios to help listeners connect more effectively in English during such pivotal moments.

1. The Stress of Moving: A Universal Connection Topic

Michelle Kaplan opens the discussion by highlighting the dual nature of moving as both a source of stress and a valuable conversation starter:

“One of the most stressful moments in life is when you move. But this can also be a huge connection topic. Find out why in this episode.” [00:59]

The hosts agree that moving ranks high among life's most stressful events, even surpassing personal relationships in some cases. Referencing a poll from Move.org shared in a National Association of Realtors article, Michelle cites that 38% of respondents found moving more stressful than parting ways with a significant other:

“A poll from Move.org found that 38% of people said moving is more stressful than parting ways with a significant other.” [04:09]

2. Why Is Moving So Stressful?

Lindsay and Michelle dissect the various factors that contribute to the stress of moving:

• Loss of Routine and Stability: Lindsay explains that moving disrupts daily routines and removes the "anchor" that a home provides:

  “I think what's stressful about moving is that everything is kind of floating at the same time. You have no anchor.” [05:01]

• Logistical Challenges: From packing to setting up utilities, the myriad tasks involved can be overwhelming. Michelle shares her personal experience of living in an Airbnb during a move:

  “I was living in an Airbnb for about five months... the kitchen wasn’t somewhere you wanted to spend a lot of time.” [05:01]

• Emotional Uncertainty: The uncertainty of what the new living situation will be like adds to the emotional burden:

  “Sometimes when we're moving and we're packing up our old home, we don't know what it's going to be like in the new place.” [06:24]

3. Essential Vocabulary for Moving

To aid ESL learners in navigating conversations about moving, Lindsay and Michelle introduce and explain key vocabulary terms:

• Pack/Unpack: The basic actions required during a move. Lindsay emphasizes the importance of being organized when asking friends for help:

  “If you ask a friend to move, you need to already be packed by the time the friend gets over.” [07:05]

• Declutter/Sort: The process of reducing possessions to make the move more manageable. Lindsay defines clutter as:

  “Clutter is just stuff everywhere. It's the opposite of clean and empty.” [08:06]

• Purge: Going through belongings to eliminate unnecessary items, often leading to large-scale cleanouts:

  “If you move frequently, that doesn't happen. You're purging things from other eras of time.” [09:08]

• Deep Clean: A thorough cleaning of the new or old home to ensure freshness and readiness for new occupants:

  “Sometimes you want to do a deep clean in the new place before you move in.” [11:45]

• Moving Day: The actual day when the move takes place. Both hosts use this term to describe key events:

  “Moving day is Thursday. So I'm taking off work.” [10:22]

• Packing Supplies/Moving Boxes: Essential items required to facilitate the packing and transportation of belongings:

  “Do we have any extra packing supplies like bubble wrap or moving boxes?” [12:53]

4. Practical Role-Play: Navigating a Moving Conversation

To demonstrate the application of the introduced vocabulary, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role-play scenario between friends discussing moving day. This exercise showcases how to incorporate new words into natural conversation:

Lindsay as Mover:

“Oh, stressful. I had to really deep clean the place I left and the one I moved into.” [14:17]

Michelle as Friend:

“I would just start decluttering once you unpack to make sure you don't have too much. Also, just sort things by room.” [14:26]

Through this dialogue, listeners can observe the seamless integration of terms like "deep clean," "decluttering," and "sort," enhancing their ability to converse confidently about moving.

5. Connecting Through Shared Experiences

The hosts emphasize that moving is a relatable experience that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, making it an excellent topic for building connections:

“Because everybody can relate to this topic, this intense, emotional topic to relate to people, ask them about their experiences.” [13:00]

They further underscore the importance of sharing personal stories and experiences as a means of strengthening relationships and improving language skills.

6. Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Lindsay and Michelle wrap up the episode by reiterating that moving, while undeniably stressful, offers valuable opportunities for connection and language practice. They encourage listeners to embrace these big life moments as chances to engage in meaningful English conversations.

“Moving is, you know, weddings, getting married, maybe having a child, moving to maybe your permanent home. These are big moments in life. So you want to share them and connect through them.” [16:02]

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Conclusion

Episode 2339 of the All Ears English Podcast serves as a comprehensive guide for ESL learners navigating the complexities of moving. Through insightful discussions, essential vocabulary lessons, and practical role-plays, Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan provide listeners with the tools to handle one of life's most stressful events while enhancing their English communication skills. Whether you're planning a move or simply looking to expand your conversational repertoire, this episode offers valuable strategies for connecting in English during times of change.

Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2339 Moving how to Connect in English over this Stressful Moment welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventure adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your 7 day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

[B]

1 of the most stressful moments in life is when you move. But this can also be a huge connection topic. Find out why in this episode. If you are a band 5 or 6 student, then your study plan will look different than if you are a.

[A]

Band 7 or 8 student.

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But you need to know your estimated score range to know how to prepare.

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Take the next step and get your.

[B]

Estimated IELTS band score. Answer a few quick questions and get your score plus resources to push that.

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Score [e-mail] my score.

[B]

Hey Lindsay, how are you?

[A]

I'm doing great, Michelle. How's everything going?

[B]

Everything's good. Lindsay, do you find moving to be very stressful? You've made a few big moves in your life.

[A]

Yes, moving is stressful, period. No, no argument. 100 it is. What about you?

[B]

Yeah, I. I mean I've made a. Yeah, I'm trying to think of how many times I've moved in my life and definitely it can be stressful. So that's what we're going to be talking about today. But guys, first we wanted to remind you that we have this really wonderful app where there are so many features that we want you to get in on. Lindsay, tell us about this app.

[A]

Yeah, we love the app. It's available on iOS or Android. Basically you have a chance to listen to the podcast, but if you want to a premium member, you get to see the transcripts of the podcast right inside the app. And not just seeing the transcripts, you get to tap on keywords that we have pre selected for you that we believe will move you to the B2C1 level. And you get to save those words in your power list and study them. See the definition. Right. You also can slow down the speed of the show, which is something we haven't seen in too many other player apps. And now we're offering an exclusive roleplay vocab review. Every week we come together, we do a role play that is a culmination of all the vocabulary words of the week. And that's only in the app. Yes.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. All right, guys, so definitely get on that. That's allersenglish.com app.

[A]

You got it. Go over there and check it out. So getting back to moving, Michelle, it is stressful. There's no question about that.

[B]

Right? Yeah. Would you say moving is more stressful than, say, going through a breakup?

[A]

Oh, it depends on who you're breaking up with.

[B]

That's true. That's true.

[A]

Let's say a really important person breakup. No, I think probably moving would be less stressful than that. Just, you know, if you feel like you were in love with the person, and that feels more stressful to me because logistics are just logistics. They can be ironed out. But people, you know, people are people, and they're in your live life. But I think there are not many other things. I would say it's probably in the top seven things that could happen to you. Right? Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So actually, there was a poll. So there's an article. It's on NAR Realtor. So that's the national association of Realtors. This was from. This was from a couple years back, February 23rd, 2022. And they talked about a. A poll from move.org 38 of the people who took this poll said, and I quote, moving is more stressful than parting ways with a significant other. Yes.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

That's interesting. So I. Yeah, I wanted to share that with you guys. But today, this is. I mean, I think most people have moved. I mean, listen, that's a generalization. But many people have gone through moves, and this is just another great topic to connect with others. I mean, but, Lindsay. But why is moving stressful?

[A]

I think what's stressful about moving is that everything is kind of floating at the same time. You have no anchor. Right? You have no anchor. Everything's in boxes. You don't have a place to cook because you have to do takeout because you're, you know, you're closing down the kitchen. There's no anchor for you. The home is the anchor. And when you lose that, it can be a little stressful. Or when something is not right at home, that can be stressful, too. That's another topic. Another day.

[B]

But, yeah, no, it's true. That is true. The home is the anchor. And if something. Yeah, that's true. It's not just about the moving. It's about Your living situation, what's going on? But yeah, yeah. I mean, I recently went through a move and I was living. Guys you probably saw in my other space. Yeah, I was. If you've been watching our videos, you have probably seen me in several different locations. I was living in an Airbnb for about five months and it was really nice, but it was. The kitchen was. It wasn't somewhere. It wasn't somewhere where you wanted to spend a lot of time. So we found ourselves just always trying to go out, no matter, like, not always to eat. I mean, we tried to cook in, but it wasn't really a great setting for cooking. And just. So now we're in a house, but it's also just unpacking the boxes. So it's just been very. Everything has been kind of, I guess we would say. Influx. Right?

[A]

Influx, yeah, completely. Everything's in flux. That. That's a typical move. Right. As is. Again, no. No central anchor. And things are really uncertain about where you're going to be next. Right. Sometimes when we're moving and we're packing up our old home, we don't know what it's going to be like in the new place. Right. It's that uncertainty that we can all identify with. It brings us all together as humans.

[B]

Exactly, exactly. So, and you kind of have to figure out your new routine and your new space. You have to learn where you're living, how all the lights. What lights? What light switches go to what lights?

[A]

Right. Like that.

[B]

Right. But. So we're going to talk about this today. So here are some vocab words for the topic of moving. Lindsay, what's the first one? This is. I bet our listeners know this one.

[A]

We'll start with a straightforward one. So pack or unpack, obviously you have to do this. There's no way around it. Have you unpacked all your boxes yet? And you know, if you ask a friend to move, this is my opinion, I have a bias here. If you ask a friend to move, you need to already be packed by the time the friend gets over. Because I've had scenarios where I've offered or been willing to help someone move, but you get to their house and you think you're going to be moving boxes, but no, you're putting things in boxes, which is too intimate and it's too dangerous because you could break something. It's not good.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Not good. So when you ask a friend to move, make sure everything is boxed up, labels on the boxes and all they need to do is walk the boxes Outside. That's just my bias, I think.

[B]

No, I think that that's a good idea. That's a good idea. So another one. Two. Two for a. Two for one. So declutter or sort. So similar ideas. So declutter is you're kind of. While you're getting rid of the clutter. Clutter? What's clutter? Lindsay?

[A]

Clutter is just stuff everywhere. Where it's the opposite of clean and empty. It's busy. Right. For example, I have to declutter this room before I start packing. There's so much to. To sort out into these drawers.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And sort goes. Sort or sort out goes into this. Because when you're decluttering, sometimes you're sorting, you're putting things maybe into categories. Putting things into the suitcase or the boxes.

[A]

Yeah. I think the word purge goes in here, too, as a bonus. Purge often. And. And this is why. This is how my parents ran into problems. They didn't move for, like, 25 years. So by the time they did move, the attic was full of old furniture. And I'm sure this happens to a lot of older couples just packed with stuff from our childhood. And because they never moved. So if you move frequently, that doesn't happen. Usually you're purging things from other eras of time. Like this thing from five years ago. Our kids have grown out of it. We're gonna purge it or give it away.

[B]

Right, right, right, right. No, exactly. And that's. Yeah. My parents, they downsized and they got rid of so much stuff, and I had to go through my things. Yeah, it's hard, but. Yeah. Lindsay, do you think it's better to declutter and purge things before you move? Like as you're packing up or as you're unpacking?

[A]

Oh, I think definitely before you pack things up, because you don't want to move and pay to have a moving company move things that you're not going to keep, I think. So I would do the purging first and then pack what's left over, don't you think?

[B]

I think. But unfortunately, my. When we were moving, we didn't quite have time to maybe.

[A]

Don't have time. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Well. And also, we were living in the space, and I have two kids, so, you know, you try it. You try and get rid of something, and it just. And it bounces back to you. Now I'm doing a lot of the purging, and it's quite an event.

[A]

No, that's good, too. Yeah. I mean, purging takes a lot of time. You can see an entire Saturday just flash before your eyes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

When you get into that purge mode, you start at 8am and before you know it, it's like 7pm You've been purging all day. So if you don't have the time.

[B]

And you have to be in the mood. Right. You can't. You like, you have to be in the right mood. So.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All right. And now we're just saying moving day. Or sometimes people say moving day or move in day. So yeah, yeah, this is a big day. So you could say moving day is Thursday. So I'm taking off work.

[A]

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[B]

And then the last one is packs and packing supplies or moving boxes. So do we have any extra packing supplies like bubble wrap or moving Boxes. I'm getting ready to move next. Next week.

[A]

Yes. Love it. So let's get to the important thing, which is why is this really such a big connection topic, Michelle?

[B]

Well, because. Because it is so intense and people know it is such a big experience in your life because it doesn't happen every day. Well, unless you're maybe like a sports star and you keep getting traded. But, like, because everybody can relate to this topic, this intense, emotional topic to relate to people, ask them about their experiences. Also a good way to see if a friend needs help with moving. But it's just a very universal topic, in my opinion. What do you think, Lindsay?

[A]

Yeah, And I also think it's a real moment where you can find out who your real friends are. And to be honest, you know, I. I think at some point people just decide to start hiring movers, which is probably a rite of passage in life. Like, you're just. It's enough at that point you're going to hire movers. But there's a period of time in most people's lives in their teens and twenties and after college, maybe thirties, forties, like, you still rely on your friends to help you move.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And when you ask someone to help you move, what do they say? You know, we find out a lot about our relationships in those moments.

[B]

Exactly, exactly. That's such a good point. So should we do a role play?

[A]

Sure, let's do it, Michelle. So here I just moved, and you are my friend.

[B]

All right. So how was moving day?

[A]

Oh, stressful. I had to really deep clean the place. I let the place I left and the one I moved into as well.

[B]

Oh, that's a lot.

[A]

Yeah. And I have packing supplies and moving boxes everywhere. I've barely unpacked anything.

[B]

I would just start decluttering once you unpack to make sure you don't have too much. Also, just sort things by room.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You'll get there.

[A]

I know. Thanks, Michelle. It just. It feels really overwhelming when, you know, when the movers have gone away, the moving company has dropped everything in your front hallway.

[B]

Yeah. And you're just looking at those boxes.

[A]

Yeah. But again, this is a very human experience. The vast majority of people are going to move at least once in their lives. Right. And so we can relate here. So what did you say first, Michelle?

[B]

So I said, how was moving day?

[A]

And then I said, oh, stressful. I had to really deep clean the place I left and the one I moved into. That's not good. Not good enough to clean on both sides.

[B]

No, no, no. And Then you said, yeah, and I have packing supplies and moving boxes everywhere. I've barely unpacked anything.

[A]

And then you said I would just start decluttering once you unpack to make sure you don't have too much. Right. And so, yeah, so you're doing it on the other end, which, yeah, if you don't have time on the front end, you're doing it on the back end. Makes sense.

[B]

Yep. And then I, I said also, just sort things by room. So how to get organized.

[A]

But it's also kind of exciting when you walk into a new home and you have a chance to kind of paint the blank canvas.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

And decide how you want things to be arranged. And it could be something new. It could be similar to your old home. It's exciting at the same time. So there's a lot of emotions running.

[B]

A lot, a lot. So that's why it's such a good connection topic, I think.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Guys, if you haven't already, head over to episode 2324. So that was. This is indisputably the best way to talk about your opinions in English.

[A]

Nice. Love that. Go check out that episode. And I think that's the takeaway is these are big moments. Moving is, you know, weddings, getting married, maybe having a child, moving to maybe your permanent home. Let's say big moments in life. So you want to share them and not just big moments. Even if you're just moving from one apartment to a next, the next you're going to be in. Other people have done it, they felt that level of stress. So connection topic.

[B]

Absolutely. All right, Lindsay, well, thanks for chatting about this with me today. And guys, let us know if you're going through a move. Good. Good luck.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I'm curious how many of our listeners are going through a move right now. Very interesting.

[B]

Right?

[A]

All right. All right, take care, Michelle. Talk soon.

[B]

All right. Okay, bye.

[A]

Bye. Thanks for listening. To all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our 2 minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com fluencyscore and if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.