Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Ebbs and Flows

So, no - I did not fall off the face of the earth. But we have had quite an adventure over the past several months and had to put our downsizing/moving work on hold for just a bit. Things don't always (or, more honestly, rarely) happen as I plan them!

As you know, we moved to our small house in the middle of September. I, of course, had grand ideas of neatness and minimalism and fitting everything in. And, as you also know, that didn't happen. We moved our boxes to the edges of the rooms and just kept on living.

Then, all at once, we got a few calls - a change in tenant situation, a new job, a broken down car - that ended up bringing us back to the apartment we'd just deliberately and intentionally left, except now it was devoid of just about everything save a few pieces of now very useful furniture - a bed, a kitchen table and chairs, a futon. We brought back some blankets and pillows, a pot, a pan, and got some plastic silverware and paper plates from the dollar store. It was all just enough to get by.

We ended up staying there from the middle of October through the end of 2014. Our downsizing stopped, and instead we were now living a truly minimalist life, without the attachments to our things. And I have to tell you, it worked out just fine! My husband and I both agree that, after getting rid of about half our stuff, we honestly don't miss any of it at all. I have two regrets though: I mistakenly sold one DVD that I kinda wish I'd kept (because, no, I can't watch it on youtube or netflix) and I wish I'd gotten rid of more.

We  f i n a l l y  got back to living in our small house December 30th to celebrate the new year in more than one way. We packed some stuff from our apartment into the basement, because we weren't able to make every single stay-or-go decision yet. We sent a bunch of it on to Goodwill. We packed the rest in our cars and made our way north. We're here, it's official, it's permanent (well, as permanent as anything can be) and things are moving!

John incorporated his rock and ice climbing business at the end of the year, so one of the main reasons for us being located here is now officially happening. I'm supposed to be working on his website right now, so maybe by the end of the week you'll be able to find him as Tamarack Mountain Guiding, Inc.

The best news to give you today is that our closet is nearing completion! Floor to ceiling, six shelves on one side, five shelves on the other. You can't imagine how excited I am to be able to put things away. It will be another round of asking questions, ascertaining the value of what we've brought with us, and filling bags (and bags and bags, hopefully) with things to give away. And then finally finding a nice, clean, organized spot for the things we have decided we actually NEED.


Here's one last thought to share with you today. 2014 was an absolute whirlwind for me. I spent a lot of time trying to sort through the mire of not only our things but also of my lifestyle. I had a lot of decisions to make, then sometimes remake. I faced what felt like infinite changes - some easy to make, but many stressful and a few difficult and stretching. I feel like 2015 will be teeming with new opportunities, new ideas, new ways of living, and lots and lots of changes that will bring many good things into our lives. I hope that sharing our downsizing process and what has worked for us will help bring many good things into your life this year, too! 

I know we're already 13 days in, but - HAPPY NEW YEAR!