Our first steps in minimizing (video embedded for your viewing pleasure below)…
Before full time life became us, we had to have a plan to get rid of our STUFF! When I say “we”, I mean Maria and me. Twenty-eight years of togetherness means that there is a lot of mementos, collectibles, and in our case, loads of antiques that we added to our lives during the great age of antique malls in the nineties.
Our first plan to condense was to downsize. We had renovated our retirement home, Dark Nest, since 2006 and in 2016 decided it was time to move in with our two youngest. Essentially, we moved from fifteen hundred square feet, where we raised our family, into a seven hundred fifty square foot home. Now that’s a tight fit!
Since Dark Nest was furnished, we had to have a plan to get rid of duplicates. Our garbage days at the homestead looked like a heap of goodies to a picker and a nightmare to the sanitation techs who had to pick it up. We organized the curb the best we could so that pickers could get the best without making a mess. A month later we were moved in to our smaller place, with a whole lot less.
Once settled, our two remaining kids grew into adults, graduated and were ready to leave the nest. More downsizing occurred as they took what they needed to get situated. Two years prior to committing to full time RV’ing we had discussions with the family, who laid claims to those things they could use, and our grown children swooped in grabbing whatever it was they needed, wanted, or a nostalgic pull from their childhood desired. We sold other things on Marketplace and swaps. Anything left was donated to Project Blessing, a local charity.
If you’re considering joining the full-time fold of RV life, do it wisely. Next weeks blog explains how and when we chose to enter into a Class A Motorhome, so come back on Wednesday...
Thanks for reading...
Tim Eagle
Find out where RV travel, exploring, DIY and writing is prevalent on video at the Dark Nest Travels YouTube channel here: Dark Nest Travels.
Tim Eagle is an author of the novellas Stolen Seed and Krae, among other books. He lives full time, on the road, with his wife, Maria and their dog, Cocoa. He grew up in Michigan and is inspired by the dysfunction, insanity, and nepotism of rural America. His books are available on Amazon, godless and Kindle Unlimited. Thanks for reading, tune in next week for the next chapter...
