Packing for the Gap: 14 Warning Signs You Have too Much Junk!
Have ever felt that you just have too much “stuff”?
It’s t-minus 11 days and we are making the final purge as we empty our home for our one year around the world family adventure.
You can see what we packed by Clicking Here…
Clearing out our home to make way for 5 college students has been unbelievably frightening, rewarding and a bit exhausting.
My husband and I have moved many times over our 13 years of marriage.
Seattle → New Jersey → Central California → Santa Cruz where we have now been for 7 years.
This has been the longest time we have spent in one place and also enough time to accumulate a lot of extra “stuff”.
Here are 14 warning signs you have too much junk and why hitting the road may be one of the best things you will do for yourself and your family.
- You finally find that highlighter pen and about 20 of its cousins.
- You realize you haven’t flossed as much as you should because you find 20 packages of floss.
- You find 20 mismatched socks for each person in the household.
- You find the 20 boxes of crayons you bought when your daughter was one because they were on sale but you forgot about them and then continue to buy new ones over the next 6 years.
- You find 20+ coloring books with one page colored in them but now your kids refuse to use them because “they’re old Mommy”.
- You find literally 100 pens/pencils you swore you’d never bring into your house because you never used up the 100 pens from the last move.
- You finally see the cobwebs in the corners and it suddenly grosses you out.
- You realize how dusty your curtains and blinds are and wished you had broken down and actually hired that cleaning lady at least twice a year.
- You look in your husbands den and really wonder what he does with all those computer parts and wires.
- You finally find a hair band and 30 of its cousins and swear next time you’ll keep them in one place.
- You find about five Costco sized mouth washes your husband insisted you buy because he was out. (This used to be the shaving cream, but we figured this one out the last time we moved.)
- You find to random “thingamajigs” that you kept because you swore you’d find it’s mate, but you forgot what it was but you decide to pack it up “just in case” you figure it out one day.
- You finally find the five combs/brushes you’ve misplaced over the years and wonder “should I really pack this up or just throw it away?” You’ll be happy to know I threw them away!
- Your recycling bin is overflowing from all the paper, and empty boxes, and plastic “things” you kept for that rainy day project for the kids. (We’ve been in a drought for 2 years now!)
Bottom Line:
We should all at least pretend to move every 2-3 years just so we can clean the corners and purge unwanted stuff.
Jump into the Gap
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" - Henry David Thoreau
A good reminder to us all. Not only about clutter, but waste.
We had a lot of clutter, but were able to eliminate waste by finding good homes for the things we didn’t need. I am down to about 10 hanger for all my clothes/workout gear while we are staying in Seabright and one small carry on bag for the entire trip. Packing gear has become much better over the years and in 2014 I think it is easier than ever to travel mobile and travel light. I like this pack-hacking approach, it takes some creativity and then some ability to be flexible in a pinch.
– Stephen
In my 20-30s I moved approx 10 times and always joked that the best way to de-clutter/organize was to move– well I have been in the current rental over 7 years so you can imagine my mess! I am sooo excited (and a bit envious) of your family plans! I hope it everything you all wish for and more!