From GA-400 to the Pinellas peninsula
Roswell had 92,883 residents at the 2020 census and Alpharetta 65,818, and both sit on the Georgia 400 corridor north of Atlanta. St. Petersburg, in Pinellas County, counted 258,308 and sits on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
The last stretch of the drive runs along Interstate 275, which passes through St. Petersburg and Tampa,. Plan the day so the truck arrives when somebody is at the door and the street parking is clear.
Week one: licence and car
Under Florida law, a new resident who starts a job in the state or enrols children in its public schools has 30 days to get a Florida driver license (section 322.031 of the statutes) and 10 days to register a car (section 320.02). The vehicle deadline is the shorter of the two and the one most people overlook.
Gather your Georgia license, proof of insurance and the vehicle title before you leave Georgia, and keep them in a folder in the car instead of on the truck.
Week one: power, water and mail
Ask your landlord or the seller's agent which companies serve the address, because providers in the Tampa Bay area depend on the street. Book start dates before the move, and ask for the final reading date on the Georgia side so you are not billed for an empty house.
Forward your mail, then update your address with your employer, your bank and any subscription that bills a card. Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1 to November 30, so if your move lands inside it, check what your new insurance policy covers and where the nearest storm information is posted.
Week two: schools
Pinellas County Schools is a large district, with about 96,000 students in the 2020 to 2021 school year. Contact the district or your child's new school early, since registration normally asks for proof of address, a birth certificate and immunisation records, and the school your address is zoned for may not be the nearest.
Ask your Georgia school to send records ahead, and keep a few paper copies in your own bag.
Weeks two and three: doctor and dentist
Move your medical records or request transfers in the first fortnight, and ask your insurer which providers sit in network on the Florida side. Pharmacies can often transfer prescriptions with one phone call, but allow a few days for controlled items.
Find a dentist before you need one. A new patient visit gives the office a chance to take your history while you have no pain and no deadline, and many practices post their forms online so you can fill them in at home. The Advanced Center for Cosmetic Dentistry in St. Petersburg has a first visit page that explains what to expect and links its new patient packet. We do not give health advice, so ask the office itself about anything specific to you.
Month one: the rest of the list
Register to vote, swap your library card, and find the nearest grocery store, hardware store and urgent care. Set aside a Saturday to drive the three routes you will use most, and note where the bridges and the wider roads leave you.
If a box still sits unpacked after thirty days, ask yourself whether you need what is in it. The first month is easier when you open the essentials first and treat the rest as optional.