Oh my goodness. That’s VERY hard work!
Best of luck! Speaking as a SoCal native who moved to Boston for 8 years and only moved back because of a boy, you can adapt to winter. Be shameless with the layers and the puffy coat; whatever it takes to feel comfortable.
I lived and worked in East Lansing for three years. If you ever go there eat and drink at the Harrison Roadhouse, and for used books go to Curious Books. Both are on Michigan Avenue close by the university. I liked it there but came home to take another job.
It’s not as hard as people think, but it will keep you in shape. It’s the weather really that makes the job sucky.
We almost shipped a car using what turned out to be shady mover, must’ve been contracted out to Igor the ass crack flasher who had no tie downs or bumpers or cloth none whatsoever and kept trying to nice guy us in his native tongue to just put the car in the truck. FIred his asscrack on the spot. shudder to think of the aftermath if we let him take us for a ride.
My Mom is from Michigan,I lived in Detroit in the 70s. The best part of Michigan IMHO is the North. Cousins and nephew up that way. Traverse City is beautiful. Good food too.
Best of luck, purple. Keep us in mind if you need help; there are a lot of dopers all around the country.
So happy you bit the bullet and decided to up and go!!
And definitely keep us posted, please.
If it gets too cold, remember, you have tea to warm you up! 
Best of luck to you!
We are likely embarking on a really crazy move sometime soon as well. Can’t say anything until it’s for sure, but I anticipate a thread of my own in the next couple of weeks.
Michigan really is lovely - I hope you find that cute little home.
Grand Rapids is great… if you like friendly, caring people (What? It can get annoying at times).
My tiny daughter announced “I like living here!” We, very relieved that we’d chosen wisely, asked why. “Because we can always drive to a real city!” She meant Chicago… you’ll be three hours from the Loop! (you’ll have so much fun at the parks and museums you’ll forget about driving through Gary)
I’m sure you’ve done your research and you know you’ll have good museums in GR, too (they have their own Rodin and a big-ass Calder downtown). Look up Art Prize and Calvin College galleries, too. Oh, the Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has art and a tropical conservatory.
But those people… watch out, within a month your local bartender is going to be asking whether your aunt got over the flu (spoiler: he prayed for her, but hopefully has the decorum not to mention that).
Purple, This is a good time in your life to try living in various parts of the country. Spend a year or two in Michigan and then decide if you want to try another state.
You’ll eventually find the right place and situation.
Wow! This is fantastic! Good luck to you in all your adventures!
Oh, wow. Y’all are sweet. Also OH SHIT THEY’RE GONNA BE HERE IN TWO DAYS how is there still more stuff to box up, and man, am I sore & tired. The usual.
It’s looking suspiciously like I may have sufficient boxes, which is never actually the case. I’ve moved - literally - over 15 times in my life, and in much the same was as a cat always being on the wrong side of a closed door, there are somehow never quite enough boxes no matter how many you’ve stockpiled and towards Go Time every move you wind up stuffing shit into trash bags and pillowcases.
Ha! I deliberately didn’t pack all my pillowcases yet for just that reason. 
Well, also, they make dandy cushioning for breakable stuff.
Still. Maybe I have enough boxes? Nah, probably just jinxed myself.
Having just completed a move, I had plenty of boxes, they just weren’t the right size. And I ran out of packing for my fragile favorites.
Also, having just completed a move, I now have WAY TOO MANY EFFING BOXES!!! Hrmpf. Sorry. Clutter overload. And a husband who won’t read what what written on a box when he’s looking for something, he just opens and rummages and then swears and leaves a trail of destruction.
Sending Easy Moving Day vibes! ~~~~~
I just want to tell you good luck. We’re all counting on you. 
Well, they’re carting out the last of my crap right now. The room full of plastic storage tubs that turned out to be full of live rodents (and therefore not part of their cargo) will probably be the talk of the dinner table for each crew member.
I’ve never had ppl disassemble and move my crap for me before … an expensive luxury, but one I could get accustomed to having!
Now I gotta wrap up some stuff: gotta clean (or hire cleaners) and call the utilities for shutoff, take my car to be checked, etc. With the holiday Monday, it’s likely that I would be leaving Wedn. earliest. Then it’s a two day drive to with a midpoint stop in Joplin. 8 hrs before and after.
After the nonstop packing, I am absolutely exhausted anyway. So a few days for errands and, well, assorted adulting is fine by me.
But now . ?
I get a cpl days to play w my ratties (since I do need to sell off as many as I can, and move the rest into small travel containers) and believe it or not, a legit reason to do nothing but futz around with my critters is something I’m really looking forward to!
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Wow! It’s real now, isn’t it?? I hope all goes smoothly for you! Enjoy the drive, too!
Annnd, the midwest just had a nice, white dump of snow for you. Looks beautiful, but it’s slippery. Load your phone up with good books (or rent them from Cracker Barrels along the way), and drive carefully!
Purple, I am wishing the best in your new life in Michigan. Grand Rapids is a good area, and be sure to check out Holland. However, beware of lake-effect snow. Let us know how you like your new digs.