The closing date on our new house is just over two weeks away. Our lives without our own things went from what we thought would be two weeks to four months. For four months I have been rotating through two weeks worth of clothes, which includes only two shorts. So for most of the summer, I've been wearing the same two pairs of shorts over and over, hoping people don't notice since I switch out the tops. For four months, I've been "just getting by" with family meals, which results in mostly prepared foods, Ramen Noodles or taco salads, because I refuse to buy any ingredients that I already have in storage. Even if I had the spices, etc, I still don't have measuring cups, baking pans or decent knives. For four months Gabriel has had a very limited selection of toys (we ended up buying a few more toys and books so he didn't go crazy with boredom) which resulted in many days at the indoor mall playground or long walks outside. I became pregnant, and went through my first trimester in those four months as well! I am now sporting a baby bump that desperately needs some maternity clothes. You guessed it. They're in storage.
Although I am excited to be in our new home with our own things, I think we've learned a valuable lesson in the last four months. We don't need all that stuff! Ok ok, I know I just ranted about my poor poor life for the last four month. Very sad and tear jerking, I know. But in reality, the things I miss are only a few of the items we have in storage. So, why do we have all that other stuff, and do we really need it? I'm not saying I'm going to give it all away. No no no. I will enjoy having a TV to watch movies on instead of my small laptop. What I'm trying to say is that our family has spent much more quality time together and also learned to get by with what we have. It has been a nice little reminder to us that material things are not what's important in life. And that's probably a reminder we can all use once in a while.
All that being said, I am still very excited to have my own things back. I feel like the seagulls from Finding Nemo. "Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" In fact, I just might reenact this scene when I see my things being delivered into our new home.
I do know what you mean!! When I moved from CA to TX seven years ago, I had spent the previous year and a half streamlining -- throwing out, donating, shredding and recycling, etc. Yes, 18 months of that! Then nearly everything left went into storage once the house was sold, and my aging cat and I lived at my brother's for over three months before making the move here. Guess what? Seven years after the move, there are still about 8 boxes of I-don't-know-what out there in the garage and a couple of them in a closet. Where do we GET all this stuff?? =)
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