We moved house yesterday. We survived. Just. The cats are a little freaked out by the new surroundings but my marriage is intact, even if my fingernails are all broken, and my knees raw from scrubbing the tiles in the laundry.
I’ve moved more times than I could count; to the next town, across the state and to the other side of the planet, but this move has been the worst by far.
It could be because we moved just two streets away and I decided to carry carload after carload of bits and pieces rather than boxing everything. That was my first mistake.
Our next move will be our last, I hope. This one was to be that last glorious move, but we were looking for the wrong property. We thought we wanted to buy a house, but what we want is a flat, close to the beach, with room for kitties and some herbs in pots on the balcony.
A view if we can get it.
But we have some work to do before we can move again, possibly in 12 months. We have to Minimalise, or is that just Minimise? 
Correct terms aside, I’ve already started the work of decluttering. Why do I own so much stuff? Who needs so much stuff? It’s terrible. It feels like an anchor, or maybe a millstone around our necks.
The double garage full of unnecessary stuff makes my chest hurt.
I have boxes full of my son’s baby clothes. He’s 19. Add to that every ticket stub, every museum brochure, every boarding pass; I need an intervention!
It will help me write my memoir; as I bin each box of mementos I’m sure all the memories will come flooding in.
Being a big podcast nerd, I’ve queued a bunch of episodes of The Minimalists show. I hope it will give me all the tips on leaving lean.
Tomorrow I have to finish off cleaning the old place then start unpacking this one and I’m going to Cut the Crap! I have two bags of clothes and linens to take to the charity store first thing tomorrow.
Enough is enough. Or too much.
This move has brought ‘home’ to me an inkling of what refugees have lost. Of people forced to escape a violent partner with little more than the clothes on their backs.
Can you imagine?
Given just hours or even minutes to grab whatever we can carry. There’s no question that we would grab our phone and charger, good shoes, a warm jacket, a raincoat? It was sobering to think about.
Good night. I hope you are warm and dry and with someone who loves you.
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