Tuesday, February 19, 2013

So Much Stuff


You probably know by now that OG and I are moving in the next few months. Technically, we aren’t downsizing. When the renovations to our new house in Carmel are complete, it will be just about the same size as the one we’re leaving in Minnesota. However, there are a few problems. One is the lack of basements in California. If you have a basement, think about everything you have stored in it.  Then think about what you would do with all that stuff if you didn’t have one. Next, we already have a condo out there, fully furnished with new furniture I chose specifically for California. It’s more casual and rustic—a completely different look from our traditional home in Minnesota. Lastly, it’s expensive to move and store stuff we don’t need.

And we have lots of stuff we don’t need. In thirty years of marriage, OG and I have owned ten homes, so we’ve moved many times. Some of those moves were only a few blocks, and some were several states away. However, we were always moving to an equal or larger-sized place, and on occasion the company was paying for it. This time we’re on our own.

The decisions about what to jettison are easier for me than for OG. Because of the traumatic way my job ended, I’ve embraced BIG CHANGES. I’m excited to be leaving for a new life in a new place. OG is more cautious about giving up his familiar life with its familiar trappings. Don’t get me wrong, he’s looking forward to escaping Minnesota winters, but in many ways, this has been a good place to live. Because I know how challenging this is for him, I don’t want to push too hard about what we leave behind. I don’t want to abandon things with genuine sentimental value, but I really don’t want to haul a bunch of stuff half-way across the country because we MIGHT need it some day.

I suspect the next few weeks will involve significant compromise. I also suspect we’ll end up taking far too much stuff. Our realtor tells me everyone does this. Perhaps it’s a necessary part of the transition process.

Have you made a big move? Do you regret any of the choices you made in the process?
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6 comments:

  1. Nancy J. CohenFebruary 19, 2013 at 12:16 PM

    I have NO plans to move for that very reason, aside from the fact I love my house and location and don't like condo living. We are overflowing with clutter. I pity our kids who will have to get rid of everything some day. Even my ongoing efforts to clean things out seem to hardly make a dent. It's a never-ending project. Good luck with your move. It may be better to just box up the nostalgic items and sort through them when there's less pressure. No regrets that way.

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    1. Alison HendersonFebruary 19, 2013 at 2:41 PM

      Nancy, we went through boxes of keepsakes of his parents (both deceased) today with tears pouring down our faces. It was easy to make the decision to re-pack and take those things with us. Some day our daughter can choose which ones to keep.

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  2. Jannine GallantFebruary 19, 2013 at 1:00 PM

    At one point, shortly after college, I could fit everything I owned in one pickup load. (The reason I bought a pickup instead of a car.) Now I look at our garage and cringe. In CA, we have garages instead of basements! LOL I look at my mom's garage and have heart palpitations thinking I'll have to deal with it some day. She hasn't moved in 40 years! Best of luck with the sorting.

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    1. Alison HendersonFebruary 19, 2013 at 2:42 PM

      It's a whopping job. I'm planning to ask our contractor to create some safe, dry storage under the house, even if it doesn't qualify as a basement. We're too used to keeping our cars in the garage to become true Californians. LOL

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  3. Ana MorganFebruary 19, 2013 at 3:26 PM

    We moved to Minnesota in a pick-up truck. Now we'd need a caravan of cattle semis, moving vans, and flatbed implement trailers. Farmers collect a lot of stuff.

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  4. Vonnie Davis ~ Romance AuthorFebruary 19, 2013 at 3:42 PM

    We moved from the DC area to southern Virginia. We tossed out a lot of stuff, but many things we kept. Calvin couldn't get rid of his son's toys or stamp collection. His son had a PhD and lives in Berlin. I couldn't throw out things my kids had gifted me with over the years. Nor could we throw away a book--God forbid!!! Our moving van was so packed, it limped away from the curb. Both of our cars were filled with just enough room for us to settle between the plants and baskets and boxes to drive. I don't ever want to go through that again!

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