Our Moving Day Snowstorm and the U-Haul in the Ditch

You don’t know the half of our moving-day adventure. We briefly shared empty shots of our old place and photos of the new house’s interior, but the full story deserved telling. Buckle your seatbelt — this one’s a ride. As we mentioned earlier, the morning began with an unexpected snowstorm. It wasn’t a Friday the 13th, but Monday the 13th certainly lived up to its unlucky reputation, which is the last thing you want on closing and moving day.

The snow was pretty, but it contributed to a few unlucky events. It knocked out power at our attorney’s office, which made it harder to get updates, transmit files, and complete the closing on schedule—part of the reason the closing was pushed to Tuesday. That was minor compared to the main predicament: our 26-foot U-Haul ended up in a ditch, blocking two lanes of traffic.

Yes, that’s our U-Haul lodged in a ditch right at the end of the driveway we had just sold. In other words, someone else’s driveway and mailbox were involved. The truck was precariously leaning against the new owner’s mailbox while we still had an hour before they returned with the keys. Not ideal.

Here’s how it happened. Sherry was at my sister’s house with our daughter and our dog, waiting until we could move into the new place. I’d been dropped off at our old house to meet the buyers and their agent for a final walk-through to confirm the house was vacant and in the same condition. The walk-through went fine and I followed them out in the giant truck packed with our things. By the time I pulled away, they were already a bit ahead on the road and didn’t see what followed.

I blame a combination of staying focused on keeping the front end from slipping into the opposite ditch, snow that hid the driveway edge, and my own inexperience with driving such a large vehicle. That mix was all it took.

Sherry prefers to tell the moment 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 careful. It’s snowy out—drive slowly, even if people honk. Take your time.

JOHN: I will. Don’t worry.

SHERRY: I just don’t want you ending up in a ditch or anything.

[HANG UP — PHONE RINGS AGAIN]

JOHN: Crap, the truck’s in a ditch and I think I knocked over the mailbox.

SHERRY: You’re kidding, right?

We can laugh now, but in the moment it felt catastrophic. I pictured our belongings smashed and a tow delay that would anger the buyers returning with the keys within the hour. Miraculously, none of that happened. The mailbox didn’t fall over, and most importantly, nothing valuable was ruined.

The tow truck arrived within about half an hour, which felt like lightning given the storm and the many other vehicles stuck in ditches that day. After they pulled us out, I slowly drove the truck to the new house and contacted the new owners’ agent to accept responsibility for the cracked mailbox post. Between the tow fee and the mailbox repair, the total came to $185. Frustrating, yes, but far better than broken furniture, a delayed closing, injury, or lasting damage.

When the back of the truck slipped off the driveway it dropped roughly 18 inches, so we considered ourselves lucky that nothing fragile was smashed. That sense of relief made finally stepping into our new home later that day feel even sweeter. We’d navigated snow, power outages, a stuck truck, and stress—and still ended up exactly where we belonged by evening.

That night I tried to make up for the chaos by giving Sherry a small surprise: a delicate gold turtle necklace I’d found in an online shop a few weeks earlier. She’d admired a similar piece on a TV show, and this felt like a perfect housewarming gift. The little card that came with it said, “The turtle’s whole life is one of steadfastness, effort, and patience. There is a saying, ‘Home is where the heart is’ — the turtle is always at home within itself.” It was a gentle reminder that home travels with you, even through messy transitions.

In an odd twist, our ditch-bound U-Haul had a big turtle logo on the back. Coincidence? We like to think it was a small, reassuring sign that everything would turn out all right.

So that was Monday the 13th—proof that moving day can be unpredictable, a little chaotic, and ultimately memorable. Take it from us: when snow, narrow driveways, and a big truck combine, prepare for anything. And don’t forget that a sense of home follows you, even when the day feels unlucky.