Day 4 - Beginning the Purge

I have formally begun to sell of some of my massive piles of stuff I don't really need. The first item to go is my five in one game set. My chess board, that while I love, hasn't been set up or really touched aside from being moved from one table to another. It's time for me to let it go. It's time for me to let a lot of things go.

I'm generally a very sentimental person, and I love to shop, so I'm likely very close to being a hoarder, which is going to make this whole process a lot harder and possibly slower than I had admitted to myself. I'm trying to remember to take deep breaths and work in small sections so that I don't overwhelm myself.

The trip doesn't start until next may, so I have time, but I also have to contend with the fact that my lease is up in December, so that's my deadline for the bulkier items I'll be selling. Little things are much easier to physically manage, but they do add up, so my main task for the next little while is sorting through my things to decide what to keep and what to let go. Obviously I'm going to be keeping my furniture, though less of it, and major sentimental pieces, like the dollhouse my mother built for me, which is reducing the amount of room I'm going to have for other things.

Downsizing is hard, but this is going to be worth it in the end.

Day 3 - Big Choices

I'm leaning more and more towards a van if I do decide to get a new vehicle. I think a van is probably the best option for both ability to retrofit inside, and for towing capacity. I have to admit that I hate the idea a little bit, because after I'm done the trip I will have a van that I won't really have much use for, since it's larger than I really need.

Which leads me to todays's point.

I'm trying to find the balance between things I'm going to need for this trip, and things that I need to return to my life after it. Since a new vehicle is a big decision, I'm obviously a little nervous, but at the same time this trip is all about letting go of the excuses we all make to not do what we really want to with our lives. This is about the freedom to be who we are behind all our labels and pretenses.

How many times have you thought about doing something and then talked yourself out of it? You tell yourself you can't, because you have all these obligations, chains that you've created for yourself to make things easier. If you have reasons not to, and you give them power, instead of finding ways to do what your soul is calling you to, you'll never see your dreams.

What I'm doing now is somewhere in the middle. I'm making big life changes and moving forward, but also keeping hold of the idea that while this is not a quick trip, it is also not what the rest of my life will be. So how do I do both? I take my time, weigh my options, and find that balance.

Day 2 - New car or not new car?

I really had no idea how much planning this was going to take. I've started a bunch of lists of things I will need for this, and they aren't getting any shorter. Mind you, I have only been at this for two days sooooo.... maybe this is usual.

Right now, my primary concern is my vehicle. I have a car, which is doing okay for now, but I don't know what shape it will be in next spring. Right now, it's already got over 300,000 KM on it, and while it's running okay now, how will it be when it's time to go? I'm also not sure if I want to retrofit a vehicle (either the one I have or one I buy) or get a trailer, and if I do get a trailer, will I need a new vehicle anyway to pull it? This is the first major decision I have to make, because everything else flows out from here, so I need to make it soon.

I need something reliable, capable of towing, and relatively fuel efficient. I feel like this might be one of those things where you want three things but you can only actually have two, but we'll see. Who know what new options tomorrow will bring!

Days to go: 307

Day 1

The decision has been made, and now I have a long-term goal to work towards. I don't know that I have ever been so terrified and excited at the same time. I have to start purging some of my things, and by some I mean huge portions of everything.

This is going to mean a huge number of changes for me, across the board. I'm going to have to cut back on a lot of things, and sell a lot of things. I'm going to have garage sals, and stop buying new craft supplies.

At Christmas I'm going to get a table at a craft fair so I can sell off some items and raise some money. God, I have so much stuff....

But that's okay, I have time. I guess that's the advantage of taking this summer off, and going next sping.

After all, it takes a lot of planning to make your dreams come true!

Days to go:  308