Literally. I am getting ready for a huge, community-wide yard sale this weekend, and I am using this time to weed through our belongings in the basement and decide what stays and what goes. Which is no small task, but it feels good to get rid of things. Some of our belongings have been packed since we sold our first house in the summer of 2004!
My mother got upset when she heard about this. Maybe because she sees it as a step leading to our move to England. Which it is. But it is also just something I have been needing to do. We still have junk from before we moved in together--you know the stuff. The cast-off furniture and kitchen paraphernalia that no one else wanted that was so useful when you were just starting out. We have kitchen stools that we took off the street that our neighbors had put out with their garbage. That sort of thing.
But I also think my mother and Jonathan's parents hold onto everything. Everything. I don't know if this is a generational thing, or a Mother thing, but if it's a mother thing, it hasn't infected me yet. I have given most of Blue and Lion's baby clothes to friends and sold some on eBay. Why do I need to keep all of their clothes in a Rubbermaid? I have pictures of them wearing the outfits I really love. And I have my memories.
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We are still committed to move. Jonathan needs to apply to school and we need to sell our house.
We talk about it together all the time.
I have no fingernails left. Seriously. My fingers are bleeding. I look like I've been tortured.
But. It took Jonathan 3 hours to get to work yesterday morning. And it is so damn hot outside, I rarely let Blue play outside.
England beckons.
Sometimes I think we must be crazy. Our life here is pretty sweet. Nice big house. Wonderful friends. Family all around. Why would we willing give it all up? Why would we choose to live in a much smaller space with two rambunctious toddlers underfoot? With all potential babysitters halfway around the world? On virtually no money? Who would choose to add such stress to their lives?????
Jonny and me, that's who.
Because the more we talk about the idea, the more it appeals to us. Why should we stay put and live predictable lives? Why not take a chance? Just try it. We could always come back, right?
1 comment:
how exciting!
I travelled a lot as a child. We moved countries every 5 years and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed and how much I learned from it.
And it's a cool way to make sure you have friends to visit in every part of the world.
Have fun in whatever you decide
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