I will tell you right now that the items I saw myself taking, and the items I actually took were quite different when the fire alarm in my apartment building went off at 6:30am a few weeks ago. Perhaps one reason for this is
Many people have asked me how I can leave everything I know behind when I move to Australia in 14 months. While I am still figuring out how I will cope with homesickness and missing my family and friends (one of the purposes of this blog), this experience really helped to solidify my perception of the matter of leaving behind my belongings. A few things will be left behind in safe keeping- photos, valuables, art, etc. But most things I will sell or give away. I plan to only take 2 (probably very large) suitcases. Granted, I will end up accruing some things once I am there- furniture, clothing, housewares etc. But in letting go of the objects I've been packing around for umpteen years, it forces me to determine which aspects of myself I am trying to fulfill with them- ultimately revealing my strengths and weaknesses. I look forward, instead, to how my experiences in the next few years will fulfill me, how they will make me stronger, and how they will be incredibly worth this eye-opening process of letting go...
What would you take if you had only two suitcases? What would you leave behind for 4 years? And better yet- what would you take if your fire alarm went off *RIGHT NOW*? You have 15 seconds...
Feel free to post your reflections in the comments below!