Putting My Stuff In Storage and Hitting the Road

Today I’ve been taking stock of everything I own. Things like bed linens, dishes, vitamins, and those little pieces of metal you think came off of the furniture that have been sitting in a junk drawer for 6 months.

My husband and I are moving out of our apartment, putting most everything we own into storage, and hitting the road for an undetermined period of time.

The plan is to bounce around the United States and Canada for a while. We’ll stay in Airbnbs for a few days to a month at a time, working online from wherever we are. See different cities. No set end date in mind. Just an an open-ended experiment.

Which brings me to where I am now, on the precipice, evaluating my stuff. Store it, take it, trash it? Donate it, sell it?

It’s funny, I never took myself for someone who’s very attached to stuff. If anything, I’d have said I’m someone who enjoys throwing things away, like I’m shedding old skin. But even for me this has been a challenge.

It’s one thing to say, “I don’t need that much stuff!” It’s another to look down at a suitcase and realize you need to fit all the things you require to feel like yourself and not a thing extra. And then there are the what ifs. What if, what if, what if.

Beyond what to take with you, not having a permanent home brings up serious logistical problems. What do you do about health insurance, mail? We’re trying to think ahead without overdoing it, especially since we don’t know how long we’ll be without an apartment.

This is an experiment, I’m reminding myself. We can always adjust as we go. That’s true of everything, really, but the “experiment” word helps me remember.

For now, I’m just excited to get on with it and experience exactly what it is I’ve signed up for.