As our departure date approaches people often ask us what we’re doing with all of our stuff. Well, thank you for asking. We’re burning it. When the day comes we will just walk out of the apartment, packs on our backs, and toss a match over our shoulders as white doves fly up into the heavens. Patrick says that this is a classic John Woo thing. I don’t know what that means. What I do know is that it will be epic…and terrible for everyone else in our apartment building. Which is why we changed our minds, and opted for the boring safe route.

Most of our belongings will be going into a storage unit. Some will be sold on Craigslist. A little will be left with friends or family for safekeeping, and the remainder will be going in the dumpster. The past few weeks of packing have definitely taught us a few things.

First, Tetris is a life skill. Fortunately for us, Patrick spent a fair amount of his childhood playing video games. He has Tetris-ed the bejeezus out of that little storage unit.

Second, people on Craigslist don’t know what’s good for them. Our cute but uncomfortable chair sold within a few hours. However, our cheaper, uglier, but incredibly comfortable chair is still without a home. Don’t judge a chair by it’s upholstery, people.

Third, we own a lot of trinkets. Packing makes you realize how many things you own that just sit on a shelf and you never interact with. I’m certain that some are worth keeping for sentiment’s sake, but there are a lot that don’t really have a strong sentimental value.

Fourth, unfinished projects become glaringly obvious. It’s easy to push those things to the back of your mind until you actually have to figure out what to do with that pile of craft supplies.

And, finally, you really don’t need as much as you think you do. Most of our belonging have been in storage for over a week now, and we’re still doing just fine. We packed up most of our kitchen, but we’re still able to cook meals. We packed up most of the bathroom, but we can still pee, brush our teeth, and take showers (not necessarily in that order). This seems like good news as we head off for over a year of living out of our backpacks. It seems feasible.