Yesterday was particularly difficult as record heat hit the valley of the sun and we packed the UHaul in 120 degree heat.
Here is our 6'x12' UHaul trailer attached to our truck and backed up to the garage door at the house. We filled every square inch of that baby and realized that we were unable to fit many of the items we originally wanted to take with us. All day I utilized my local community connections and a local "Buy Nothing" Facebook group to give away the items that we couldn't fit. Thankfully the kids were invited to a friend's house so that we could work. Also the new owners came by for their final walk-through and we had a very nice chat. They seem to be very nice people and I think we would all get along well if we stay in the area. For now, because I am reluctant to go into in depth conversations about our choices with every person I meet, when people ask, "where are you moving?" I say, "Nearby, into a smaller place." True, every word, but it doesn't exactly capture the whole story!
So we worked all day yesterday and got back to the trailer at 11pm weary in every muscle and bone. Then I still had to shower the kids because I had put it off the night before, So I did that and passed out. This morning we still had an enormous amount of stray stuff in the place. We took five car loads of garbage to the dump. Most of it was empty boxes, but there were untold odds and ends accumulated over seven years that have never seen the light of day tucked in the back of closets and cupboards. It was slow work. I cleaned the fridge, floor and wiped down the surfaces a final time. I cried at intervals as I threw away random things that reminded me of my son as a baby. Some final artwork remained on a wall, I gifted it to a neighbor and cried as I said goodbye to her and told her I enjoyed being her neighbor. As we drove away I was happy because everything I had been thinking for almost a year was coming to fruition, but there is also anxiety and trepidation about the future. I asked my son how he felt and he said, "I feel casual." I think this whole ordeal about selling the house has been dragging on for so long that he is ready to finally be done with it.
So now we sit in our tiny house, still drowning in stuff and trying to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. For every dollar we have spent acquiring things we have probably gotten 10 cents trying to sell it. I have had to give away a lot of valuable items. I have put things in the dump that had life in them...It bothers me to waste so much. But then that has been the problem over the past few years. Our lifestyle has been wasteful and excessive - we've been working to own and maintain all of these things.
On the plus side there is a sum of money in our checking account and we are in the process of paying off our remaining debts. Soon we will own ourselves instead of owing banks! At some point I will share a bit more about our finances as that is a huge factor driving our decisions. All in all today was a bittersweet day and I am worn out. It was only 18 days ago that we accepted the offer on the house. We have successfully emptied the 4000 square foot home we have known for the past seven years - the only home our children have know. We purchased an RV, secured a lot, and relocated to a travel trailer. We forwarded mail, maintained internet, changed utilities.....a lot. I need a nap!
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