Downsizing

We knew that part of moving from a fixed address to a vagabond lifestyle was to get rid of our stuff.   We knew there would be things that were hard to get rid of.   But I don't think there is a way to prepare mentally for this process.   First, there is the problem of attaching meaning to stuff.   "Oh, I bought that when I was doing that fun thing that one time!"   And then I had to remind myself that I could remember those events without that thing that has been sitting in the closet for the last 10 years.

So that's the first hurdle.    I thought that would be the hard one, but it turns out, that is the easy one.   The hard one for me was when the estate people went through the house and moved things into stacks and put a price on it.    Sure, "it's just things", but certainly it has to be worth more than a couple bucks?   That thing from the art fair?   That's only $4?   

And where is my stuff?  Everything is moved.

So this process has been equal parts enlightening and demoralizing.    I've been working to keep a big house to keep all this stuff and to maintain all this stuff, because someday it will be worth something, and it is adding to my life.   But in the end, it's not worth much at all and never will be, and it turns out, it didn't really add much to my life.    Not 40 hours of work per week worth, anyway.

OK.   Well, that part is done.   We are moved into our RV now, and I'm really not missing all that stuff that went away.   We don't have a place for everything yet, so we start a lot of sentences with "what happened to..."    But that's temporary.    All the things we need to live and enjoy are right there, just steps away.   I thought living in a small space would be hard, but that's been the easiest thing.   And I have my days free, instead of working to pay for stuff I only thought I cared about.