A smaller version of my stuff

Language warning - It's George Carlin after all.

One of the many goals for this new year, this new chapter, is to live more minimally. Less clutter, less distraction, less things demanding attention and money. A cleaner life will help me have a clearer mind.

The first phase has been to cut down on some of the excess stuff I have been carrying around from home to home. I have never been driven by the accumulation of stuff, but it has piled up nonetheless. I actually avoid buying new things, but the flip side is that I have a tough time throwing things away.

While getting the house ready for sale, I sold, gave away or threw out lots of stuff. Several truck loads in fact. But I still have a storage unit filled with things. For the past couple of months, I have been living at my parent's house, and have been trying to keep less stuff around. I've tried to limit my footprint to my bedroom and the garage, but of course after a couple of months I've spread out a little bit.

I'll be moving to San Diego in the next couple of days, and will be bringing an even smaller version of my stuff. I will be trying to keep most of my things in the bedroom, and I am only bringing a dresser as far as furniture. I am also limited by how much stuff I can fit in the back of my truck for the drive down. And I need to leave a little space for the dog and her stuff after all. Fortunately she travels pretty lightly.

It has been a difficult to decide what needs to make the trip, and what I can do without for at least a few months. I over pack for a week-long trip, always throwing one more thing in the suitcase just in case I might need it. I have a feeling there won't be much empty space in the truck when I hit the road. I hope I don't leave something important behind, but I also hope that after a while it feels like I brought too much.

When I find my own place, and come back for furniture and things, I also hope I will be tempted to leave even more behind. Like my 4th grade arithmetic papers.