Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean
Perhaps you thought you had escaped the infamous travel blog packing post. You may have believed packing is simply fitting stuff into bags – surely there’s no way Brian could turn that into a rambling, introspective, slightly-better-than-watching-paint-dry post. How could talking about adapters and packing cubes and carry-ons really offer fertile territory for the kind of disjointed soul searching you’ve grown mildly tolerant of?
Wait, please don’t leave. Give me a chance.
I’ll be honest – I don’t really have much to say about packing. But I do have a few thoughts about things. Thoughts that have been bouncing around for a while, and came to a head as I packed for my Remote Year. And you’ve come all this way, so I’ll do my best to make it worth your while.
About a year and a half ago I had a lot of stuff. I had a house, furniture, appliances, a car. A basement full of stuff I hadn’t used in years. I had tools to fix stuff that broke and to clean up and care for my other stuff. I had bins to organize stuff, shelves to hold bins of stuff, and rarely-visited rooms to house those shelves. I had stuff to stare at, stuff to sit on while I stared at other stuff, stuff to eat off, stuff that did nothing but collect dust and stuff to clean the dust off my stuff. As anyone who’s owned a home knows, stuff has a unnatural ability to reproduce until it takes over. Takes over your space; takes over your attention; takes over your life.
Sometimes the smallest things take up the most space in your heart.
– Winnie “the wise” Pooh*
And in truth, I probably had less stuff than most homeowners. We had yearly and sometimes monthly purges. Days of going through bins and shelves, cabinets and drawers asking if we really needed this or wanted that. How long since I’ve worn this? How many of those do I really need? How long do I have to hold onto an unrecognizable key until giving up on it? What’s the over-under on superglue being in liquid form when called into action? If only I’d known this screw was here, I wouldn’t have bought that whole box to hang one picture. This is the year I will use that thing I got two years ago. Sound familiar?
So as I unwound from my stuff-filled life, methodically moving toward a life that fits into a medium sized suitcase and a small backpack I began to feel lighter. With every trip to Goodwill; with every stop at the dump and with every No, I don’t want that, my shoulders lifted a little; my step got a little lighter.
When you own nothing, it is easy to let things go
– Jerry Spinelli
It’s been said before –things own us just as we own them. But more than that, I believe there’s a gravity to things. And I was caught in that gravity – weighed down and bound by its constant pull. Yearning to wander, but held in check and ultimately circling as sure as the moon orbits the earth.
And beyond the physical, stuff exerts a mental pull as well. We feel somehow beholden to our things. Have you ever felt compelled to use something enough to justify owning it? Felt guilty for not using something that you splurged and got for yourself? Worn those uncomfortable shoes because you remember how much they cost? I know I have.
The things you own end up owning you
– Tyler Durden
So what does this all mean? Well, nothing really (you’re used to that by now, I hope). I’m fully aware that not everyone can just cut ties and run. You’ve got houses and families and responsibilities and dependents. Just pay attention and recognize how the stuff in your life affects you. Do you feel an obligation to it? Do you hold onto things without knowing why? Does your stuff bring you joy? And give yourself a break – if something doesn’t pass that simple test, let go of it – allow it to bring joy to someone else. And free yourself, even if just a little, from the gravitational pull of all that stuff.
It is just stuff, after all – you don’t owe it anything.
Stay tuned – I’m actually in Split, Croatia as I post this, and this should be the final bit of background. Next time, look forward to something more travel, adventure and Remote Year related. Maybe it will even live up to the name of this blog. Otherwise, I may need to change it to the Adventures in Brian’s head.
Brian—this is the best post I’ve read on the pre-trip packing. As I lay sick in bed, missing another awesome group event, It’s inspired me to write my story. So thanks for the blogspiration! And open yourself to the Adventure!!
Well, adventuresofbh.com is prolly available…don’t buy it. Great post…and…you made it to Croatia. Looking forward to the next post(s)!
There are many adventures to come… in and out of your head., my friend.
Croatia! Take lots of pictures and remember that we are living vicariously through you on this adventure 🙂 Cleaning closets in your honor….
You make me think of my refrigerator and the ‘stuff’ that I store in it. I have this compulsion to check it out, see what has been there the longest, and make sure I try to use it rather than throw it out. I use a ‘mold index’ to make decisions whether to put it in the freezer to preserve it, eat it now, or throw it away. What this leads to is discovery because I’ll add the old to what I’m cooking to create a new and more creative meal.
I look forward to going out to eat at a restaurant the next time I visit 🙂