Moving, Stage 1: trash your house and get rid of all your stuff. . .

Right now our house looks horrible.  We have begun the process of organizing/packing/and culling.  As we pull things out of their hiding spots under the bed, in the closet, and take all my crap out of storage, I'm finding that we have much more things than we thought we had.  Things that we never use, do not what to do with, do not have a place for, and don't need.

Moving all our crap makes me jealous of the people who can fit what they have into a car and leave everything else behind.  Craig moved across the country twice.  Once from New York to Oregon, and again from Oregon to Alabama.  Both times he filled up his car with what it could hold and left the rest.  Now, as we prepare for this move, we are worried we will not be able to fit our stuff onto a 22' Penske truck.  Seriously?  That is 1,200 cubic feet of space!  Craig is excited that he is able to bring furniture and other things with him, but I am wanting to get rid of everything but my toothbrush.  

In reality, we need to bring a moving truck.  But I seriously want to work at simplifying our life.  I have never been a fan of minimalist decor, but we have to find some way to have less stuff.  From an environmental standpoint, it makes sense.  Less consumption.  From a sanity standpoint, it also makes sense.  I want to be able to breathe.  Plus, I'm always slightly afraid one day I will end up on the "hoarders, buried alive" show.  It may be an irrational fear, but it could happen.

I am trying to make a goal, that before I make any purchases, I ask myself whether or not this purchase is good for me and will benefit me, and whether or not the purchase will benefit my community.  Hopefully I will become more mindful of what I buy.

Now, on to the packing.  I hope to be able to take a picture of a cleaner living room this afternoon.

Happy Fourth of July! (observed)