How We Got Rid of All Our Stuff
Why and how are we getting rid of all our “STUFF”?
The short answer is we are selling our house and cars, but everything else we are giving away. Why? How?
For years we have loved the idea of minimalism. Reading books, enjoying documentaries and tv shows, watching friends build and move into tiny homes… It has been something we have been infatuated with. But why? We have had the experience of cleaning out decades of stuff that our parents collected, boxed, and stored their whole lives. Stuff they couldn’t part from or had intentionally saved for us. Stuff they looked at only a few times over their whole lives before they put it into a box to be stored in a garage, rafters, attic, or basement. After they died, we opened those boxes and asked, “Why did they save this?”. We admit some things we would see and feel a tug from a memory that would make us smile. We would think or even say out loud, “I haven’t thought about that in years.” Many of these things we would put back into a box and continue to store because we weren’t ready to let go. We also had saved things for our children as our parents had done for us. We realized we were participating in a cycle we no longer wanted to perpetuate. We would not leave a house full of stuff for our children to deal with. Our children have families and homes of their own. They can decide what they want to keep now, and we can do it together instead of them doing it alone after we die.
Stuff!
Our lives changed (we retired and had an empty nest), we grew, and our mindsets changed. Technology has changed; we can digitally store photos, books, letters, and documents. As our desire for things lessoned, our desire to live smaller increased, and our dreams grew. We discovered our dreams of traveling the world and experiencing other cultures on a small budget could be possible with less stuff. Once we figured that out, letting go became a lot easier. Which did we want more – to keep the piano and guitar that we had NEVER touched or explore a village just outside of Athens, Greece? Do we want to keep the Vitamix that we barely use or hike the trail to the top of the highest peak in Panama to watch the sunrise over the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean in one panoramic view? I could go on, but you get the point.
Once we decided what we wanted most and what we could live without, we first gave it away to our children, who appreciated furniture to fill their homes, family keepsakes that meant something to them and physical photos they wanted to keep. Local charities got clothing, kitchenware, and bigger items the kids didn’t want. A youth music program was thrilled to get that piano. Creating some good karma became a beautiful bonus. Once we sell the house, we will book our flights and sell our cars. We will own only what we can carry.
The feeling of freedom and satisfaction throughout this process has been enormous. When we first started, it was a little scary. We would feel twinges of “Oh my God! What am I doing?” and we would remind ourselves of our dreams. As we would take another trunk full of clothes and stuff to donate, it felt good to know that these things would be appreciated by someone who would use them. It was a little surprising how much stuff we took to the dump or to be recycled. If we had not started this process, how long would we have stored things that should be thrown away? As our garage and closets emptied, we learned we could live better with fewer things. The guilt we had once carried keeping coats, dresses, and suits we never wore disappeared too. That inspired us to dig deeper to donate more items. How many T-shirts does one really need? We are still trying to figure that one out, but the packed drawer full is no longer.
When we started to pursue this dream six months ago, we thought it would be great to begin our adventure with only four suitcases. As we continue to learn and grow, our goals evolve too. Today we love the idea of getting down to two backpacks, but for now, two suitcases might be where this first giant leap starts. We can’t wait to share that moment with all of you!
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