The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

My Possessions: What I Chose to Keep

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My co-worker Stacy asked me when I first left for this trip what I chose to keep and how I made those decisions.  I told her I would write about it soon, but then I was more interested in writing about my experiences in Latin America… like hiking a volcano.

The first week in Columbus, I went to my storage unit to retrieve a few things.  And then when I was preparing to leave again, I had to go to the storage unit again to drop things off.  I decided it was now time to write this post.

My possessions fit into a 5’x5’ storage unit.

And I am proud to say it is not even half full.

Photo of storage unit

I was never a hoarder.  I really did not think I had that much stuff. 

After all, my condo was only 930 square feet, and not every closet nor every cabinet was full.  Yet it was still very difficult to purge when I made the decision to travel for a year.  In fact, it was probably one of the most stressful experiences of my life.

However, choosing what to keep was never the stressful part.  The stressful part was selling stuff on Craigslist, packing up the stuff to donate, and going through all of the documents.  That took a lot more time than I had planned.  And I probably could have made more money from my possessions if I had started sooner.

So what did I keep?

Clothes and Shoes

Only the really good stuff.  The higher quality basics that would hold up.  Enough of a wardrobe that I would not need to buy anything when I returned.

Jewelry

I’ve never been big on jewelry, so I didn’t have much.  I just kept the nice stuff that I frequently wore.  I sold a lot of gold that I hadn’t worn in over 10 years.

Nice kitchen/ dining items

Because I purged so much other stuff and had the space, I decided to keep a box of some of my nicer kitchen and dining items such as serving dishes and wine glasses.

Bike

Note that I also still have some furniture and decorative items because I rented my condo partially furnished.  But if the furniture wasn’t wanted, and it didn’t fit in the 5×5 storage unit, it would be gone.

What about the sentimental stuff and the keepsakes?

I am sort of anti-keepsakes (more on that in a minute).

Yes, I did keep a few personal things with sentimental value such as some pottery I made and a paper mache ear a friend gave me in high school (the weird things are always the best).

But there are very few physical things that hold sentimental value for me. 

If you gave me something as a gift that is not highly functional, the odds are I don’t have it anymore.  Sorry.

Things are just things.  I do not need a decorative candle to remind me that you are someone important in my life.

What’s my secret?

I know a lot of people that are perfectly content to keep things in boxes hidden away in an attic or closet.

For me, if I do not remember what is in that box, it must not be important.

If the stuff in that box is worth $1000, and there is a 50% chance I may one day use what’s in that box, I’m probably going to sell it and worry about needing something in that box when it actually happens.

Going digital is key.

Obviously, financial documents are very important.  You cannot just throw them away.  I went through the very painful process of reviewing every document, scanning what I needed to have access to, and shredding everything.

Seriously, this is a horribly painful process, especially the shredding part.  I encourage you to start this process now rather than spending 10+ hours doing it all at once.

Going digital also works for photos.

I must have had over 20 photo albums.  I love photos.

Those are my memories.  That is what I get sentimental about.

I used to put all of my photos in albums thinking that if I did that, I would actually look through them periodically.  Sure, I’ve looked at them before.  And it was nice to show the albums to others.

But I realized that I would rather have those photos accessible via the internet and part with all of those photo albums taking up space.

I used a photo scanning service.  I filled a large shoebox with all of the prints and mailed them to a company in California.  For about $150, they mailed me the box of photos back with CDs containing all of the files.  I shredded the prints.  I uploaded the files to my computer and then synched with my online storage/ backup service.

And then I sold the photo albums on Craigslist.

Did I get rid of too much?

At this point, I do not think so.  When I went to my storage unit to get some clothes and shoes for my visit home, it was such a relief to open the door and see just a few plastic bins and boxes.

I knew what was in every one of those bins and boxes.

I am still living the nomadic life, so maybe I will change my mind when I return to the US and create a home again.  But I have a feeling I will be more than happy to go out and buy a few necessities rather than rent a truck to move a bunch of stuff I didn’t use for over a year.

I will be a better minimalist.

Have you had to go through this purging process? How did you decide what to keep?

Comments

  1. Storing anything that you no longer use is such a good way to save space which you can use to put new items as well as keep the old items in one safe place which you may sell or donate sooner or later. This is an excellent idea I got from your post.
    Candice Michelle recently posted..rifle slings

  7. I’m not a hoarder by any means and am very ruthless about getting rid of stuff. Can’t stand the piles of magazines and crap that my mother and sister have sitting around. However, I could never go as minimal as you. I love my comfortable home that I have painted and decorated over the years. I don’t buy much when we travel because I don’t like a lot of dust-catchers, but I have bought prints to frame and a few odds and ends, like a beautifully painted bowl from Mexico. Some of it has to do with the difference in our ages – I’m way past the backpacking travel time in my life. All that said, I really admire what you are doing. This is the best time of your life to do it. You will treasure those memories forever – and you have plenty of time to collect your own crap in the future!
    Jan Ross recently posted..Leaf Peeping on the Norwegian Jewel

  8. I also never considered myself a hoarder, but I was shocked at how much stuff I got rid of before my current RTW trip. I still kept quite a bit, mainly the high-quality items and house goods (pots, pans, dishes, etc). My husband and I decided to keep a lot of it, rather than sell everything, simply because we know we will not be nomads indefinitely. We are both very excited about settling down after we have finished this long-term travel and we know it will be much cheaper and easier to keep these items (especially with free storage with family!) than to have to replace everything once we go back. While it is great to be able to travel with only a bag on my back, I enjoy the possibilities that arise from living in one place and accumulating items that you truly want and use (for me, this is usually kitchen supplies as I love to cook and entertain!).
    Danalynn C recently posted..Settling In to a New French Helpx

    • It is amazing how it accumulates, and you don’t even realize how much is there until you have to do something with it all.

      I enjoy entertaining and cooking (when others are doing it for me) as well, so I did prioritize keeping my nicer things that I did truly use all of the time (I like my smoothies).
      The Travel Chica recently posted..How Travel Has Taught Me to See Beauty

  9. Completely with you on financial documents. I DETEST that stuff with a passion. Rather than go through it all, I tend to file it or put it in a pile to be shredded. Good for you that you don’t hoard. I tend to do a little too much of that. On the flip side, I HATE organizing and filing so those aren’t good combinations.
    Jeremy Branham recently posted..A Sacramento history lesson in Old Sacramento

  10. I decided to keep what I was going to need while traveling.
    If it did not fit into that category, it got sold or donated.
    I didn’t even keep financial stuff – if it was not on my computer, it was not needed.
    Stressful – you betcha.
    Now it is in my car – those things that I need.
    My car is on it’s last legs, and soon more will be gone, down to the very basics of a wandering nomad.
    Ain’t that bad – if I need something, I can usually find it close by.
    Things that are tough to find – computer and camera stuff??
    Just gotta do what you gotta do in order to find the things – sometimes that means going to another country!
    Happy I did it.
    Cheers,
    John D. Wilson
    John D. Wilson recently posted..Think a prepackaged tour is just for Grandma and Grandpa?

  14. Good to know that you still have the ear :) That is still the best piece of art work I have ever seen. Feel free to come visit and organize my life when you get back, god knows it needs it. Miss you.

  15. I go through the purging process about once a year, but I have a TON of photo albums and documents that I know I’m going to need to go through soon. Thanks for the tip on sending them somewhere to be scanned. It sounds well worth the $150.

    You are lucky to have been able to rent out your place furnished. We are considering subletting our apartment while we are travel because we really love our place and it would cut down the cost of storage. I don’t have a problem getting rid of everything and living minimally, but I think that it scares Scott to come home to nothing.
    Christy @ Ordinary Traveler recently posted..Do You Thrive on the Unknown or Take the Safe Route?

    • I have to admit that although I think my home was very nice, my furniture was not at all expensive. I’m a good bargain hunter :-)

      Since I rented to friends, I told them I would leave anything in the condo they wanted to use. Anything they didn’t want was gone. I’m happy to know they are getting use out of it rather than it just being donated for a small tax write-off. It also made it so much easier for me.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..How Travel Has Taught Me to See Beauty

  16. Before we left on our trip to the Americas last year, I went through the same painful process of shredding my life. I couldn’t believe the endless paper trail still stored in boxes in the attic, garage, at the back of the closet. Although it took quite some time, it felt good to hear those razors dulling down as the piles and piles of paper disappeared. Kudos to you for doing the same!
    Tran recently posted..Tortuguero, My Favorite Place in Costa Rica (And of My Trip So Far)

  20. Growing up with my parents moving around the world, they taught me from a very young age that possessions weren’t all that important compared with family and life. I try to not keep / or buy much at all when I travel now, unless it is for a gift for someone. I wouldn’t say that I’m a minimalist, I just don’t like to be bogged down with stuff. I mostly keep what I need, along with a few sentimental (or just cool) odds and ends.
    Mark Wiens recently posted..Photo Favorite: Storm and Sunset at Cabo Polonio, Uruguay

  21. I’m not a blogger. I’m not a world traveler. However, this post made me reflect on my priorities. My biggest “purge” was cleaning out my closet and donating to Goodwill. Thanks for making me “think” about the what if-what if I had to put all I thought was important in storage. How would I determine what was important. Good post Stephanie!!!

  22. I have never purged on such a grand scale, but I feel like I do it on smaller scales, frequently. I do not like knick-knicks, papers, junk, clothes I don’t wear, etc, just laying around my house. So I am often looking for things to get rid of…..much to my husband’s chagrin at times 😉
    Claire recently posted..A Lull, A Slump, and a Smile in the End

  24. Fabulous and well done! I actually thought about that question a couple times over the last year, wondering myself what I would keep if I went through via your shoes.
    When we moved across country for the 2nd time a bit over a year ago we went through the purging process. The duration of the purge was pretty long, and I used it as a way to prepare myself mentally for the journey we were about to take. I committed to making one trip to Goodwill each Saturday, considering throughout the week what should go and staging it. I could group the items into three categories: books we didn’t like/use, family items (yes) that, though they were handed down, were of absolutely NO use to us and clothes. With 4 growing bodies we had PLENTY of clothes to donate!
    Upon moving day, we had plenty to move but were much leaner!! And, after the move we had a huge tax deduction from the many items we contributed. The experience was more about the process and feeling than the “stuff.” We felt free and organized when taking on a new life in Ohio. Clean slate. Much like you felt upon leaving and returning!

  25. When we started our RV trip we got a tiny little storage unit (I think 4×7) for similar stuff — clothes, some books we couldn’t part with, etc. After a year on the road we came back to San Diego and realized we didn’t need most of that stuff and didn’t feel like paying for the storage unit indefinitely.

    So we emptied it and took four boxes up to my parents’ house for them to hold onto. Those four boxes are mostly childhood photos, keepsakes, and financial/business documents. Getting rid of our storage unit felt like a huge weight off our shoulders! It’s funny how much you don’t miss stuff when you don’t see/use it. :)
    Technosyncratic recently posted..The Mediterranean Beauty of Malta

  26. Well, I tried to do the same type of purge before my extended travels. I wish I could say I did as well as you. I never bothered to do anything with the photos or paperwork. Also, though it pained me I did get rid of all my books, though I had a ton of notebooks and other materials from uni that I couldn’t seem to part with even though the chance of me ever going through them again is slim. I also had over 1200 CDs that took up quite a few storage containers. In that case, I have a friend who still listens to CDs (crazy, right?) so at least with him I know they have found a loving home. Maybe on my next trip home I will take a few days to finish the job properly.
    Jeff recently posted..Speeding Up Your WordPress Blog with W3 Total Cache (W3TC)

    • As I said, I was already a bit of a minimalist. I had already sold my CDs after it was obvious I would never listen to one again. Same things with books. I switched to using the library about a year or so before I left.

      You will feel much better after to finish the job… and I’m sure it will be easier once you’ve had so much time separated from those things.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Best Restaurants in Columbus: Basi Italia

  27. I am in the process of getting rid of everything I can before I embark on the next BIG trip. Like you, I have a ton of photos, but didn’t know there was such a thing as a scanning service. So thanks for that tip. I do have a lot of notebooks filled with photos from my travels, that I will keep (I am close to 60 ;). The hardest thing for me is getting rid of books. I’ve done the sorting every time I moved, but oh boy, it is hard. I fear my storage room will look a bit more crowded than yours.
    Fida recently posted..The Biggest Truck in the World!

  28. I’m not a hoarder either.
    I can’t, for the life of me, understand why people will keep so much stuff in their garages and then rent storage units. I go through my wardrobe periodically and send the clothes/shoes I don’t want to Goodwill.

  29. It’s a surprsingly time consuming process, getting rid off all that stuff. I got myself just a 1m*1m*1m storage cube, so I was forced to get rid of most of my things. And I agree with you, all paper has to go digital, makes life much easier anyway. Things that I kept were some clothes, sports equipments (Had to store skiis at another location, because they wouldn’t fit in to the cube) and some kitchen stuff.
    Jarmo recently posted..Top 7 Tips for Tubing in Vang Vieng

  31. Sounds like you were pretty decisive. We kept a lot of our stuff when we relocated. My main posessions are my books which take up shelf space but i can’t part with them. having lost so many books over the years through moving round I cling on all the more keenly to the few hundred i have left!
    robin recently posted..The Castle, the Eagle and the Lake.

  33. Hi :)

    I too got rid of all my stuff and now all my belongings fit into a roomy 5×5 storage.

    It’s a bit sad to see that your life has become nothing more than a small space but it’s also freeing. It’s only once I got rid of all my furniture and most of my clothes that I didn’t feel like anything was holding me back anymore.

    It was a long process for me but in the end, I’m happy I did it. It’s been such a pain taking my stuff from place to place as I prolong my travels. the less you have, the easier it is.

    get rid of most of your stuff and find the cheapest storage you can. i struck a good deal with mine by paying for 1 year in advance.

    good post!
    LAbackpackerChick recently posted..Living Abroad: England part 1

    • Since this is my first long-term travel experience, I haven’t had the experience of moving stuff around too much. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. But I don’t think I’ll regret the purging… it is freeing, as you said.

      I should check with my storage company. I never even thought about getting a deal like that.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..I’ve Still Got It

  34. I’m going through this right now actually. :) I’ve found that things I’ve wanted to keep as keepsakes in the past I really have no hesitation in throwing away now.

    I’ve put all my books and DVDs for sale on Amazon (keeping only a handful of books that mean the world to me and inspire me and only 3 DVDs (most of my films are on my computer now anyway) ), am planning to throw out the clothes that I can’t give away to a charity shop, and am going to try selling those little trinkets I’ve collected over the years.

    I am dreading going through my documents – I have more documents than actual *stuff* – bills, bank statements, payslips, things from university! Ergh. That’s definitely going to take time with the shredder. 😛
    Ceri recently posted..My Kind-Of, Sort-Of, Maybe Itinerary

    • Totally agree with you on the keepsakes.

      I wish I had started sooner, so I could have tried to sell more things and earn a little extra cash.

      Check to see if your city has a company that does large-scale shredding. I have heard that some do, and it’s about $10 a box to shred stuff.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..I’ve Still Got It

  37. Amazing. You make downsizing fun! Guess I can cut my stuff back a lot more by eliminating books, photos, tax stuff…

    Yesterday I saw off a friend of mine traveling with her two young daughters. They visited 3-days after traveling the USA and Canada for months. Saw them off on the train yesterday afternoon, off to New York JFK to London Heathrow. They’re traveling in 3 checked-in backpacks and 3-carryons. Like you! Minimized.

    I’m recovering from major surgery and other major disasters right now, so not at all tempted (or capable) of travel. Friends helped me by packing and moving me into storage, and by selling stuff. Gold jewelry to melt down, CDs, DVDs, clothes, fans, garbage cans and more.

    Hmm. Not so long ago I had a 2,500 sq ft house plus 3 garages. All overflowing…

    Now I’ve got a 7 1/2 ft x 10 ft climate controlled storage unit.

    Feels better after reading your post!! Thanks.
    Cynthia Ann Leighton recently posted..Alzheimer’s Disease Statistics

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