As we prepare to move out west and into what will surely be smaller real estate, I’ve been purging. A LOT. Our entire studio was liquidated, save for a few treasures that stayed with family or will go with us. I’ve been getting rid of big bulky toys and furniture we don’t absolutly love. It’s been a process of letting go and saying goodbye and it hasn’t always been easy. Even though this has been happening all so fast, it’s been a possibility since February. So I’ve been prepping my family and took my time to work on distancing myself emotionally from my studio and work on letting go of it. It’s truly been a process. I see some people sell ALL their stuff at once. I couldn’t do that. I would find a few things I could let go of and then I would have to let another few days past before I could sell more. I’ve been letting go bit by bit and at my own pace, until this past week.
This past week was insane. We put our house on the market, showed it three times over three days, cleared out our studio and had a two day garage sale. So after two grueling days of having garage salers nick pick at my belongings, we got the news that our house is pending sold. I should be jumping for joy, but I’m not. I’ve taken this house, which I actually had buyers remorse on and hated for three years and turned it into a space I truly love. We brought our babies home here, experienced Christmas joy here, greeted trick or treaters and have laughed until we’ve cried with our kids. My neighbors have saved my pugs out of the street and their back yards are our back yards. I’m trying to let go of our sweet home, but it’s taking me time.
Since we’ve had our house on the market, well meaning friends have been messaging me asking if they can buy my furniture. I should be flattered, but after all I’ve sold this weekend, I’m feeling a bit like a carcass being picked apart by buzzards. I say this not to make anybody feel bad. I’m actually super surprised by this emotion. I mean, I DO need to still sell some furniture, so what’s my problem?
I think it’s just a lot going on at once. It really is super refreshing and cleansing to purge your life of STUFF and I’ve been doing an awesome job of purging. (If I don’t say so myself!) I just think so much went at once that I need to chill and recharge. So today we are finally just resting, enjoying a bit of downtime in the midst of this crazy storm of change.
So the answer is yes, I still have some stuff to sell, but it’s not the right time. Give me a few more days to take this couch and stop thinking of it as Stamp’s cozy spot and something that won’t fit in our new place.
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You dear woman…I cannot even imagine. We’re moving, oh thirteen miles away, and I’m freaking out. Please keep letting me know how we can help you in this time of transition (and excitement and anxiety and joy and sorrow at goodbyes).
I hope I get to have or at least store on my walls some of those great pictures…GRANDMA
I get it. We are moving from a tiny coastal beach town in Costa Rica back to Pleasanton, CA and I feel like everyone is eyeing my stuff. Its very difficult to get things here, and anything imported is pricey. I have started selling things, because we need to, but a couple friends have stopped by and I felt like they were taking inventory of my stuff. Its a weird feeling. Especially because I am emotional. The carcass analogy is very fitting.
This post spoke to me so much a year an a half ago and really helped me to come to terms with selling my home and almost everything we owned except what could fit in one storage unit. We said goodbye to my son’s school, which was the same school my husband and I graduated from and where most of his cousins also went, in May of 2014, then over the summer had numerous garage sales and had to find homes for our two dogs and one cat (harder watching my son say goodbye) and then moved out of our home into a tiny apartment while my husband came to India and a few other places on business while waiting for his employment visa for India. I sold everything from pots and pans and silverware to books, toys, and outdoor stuff. I remember reading your blog then and being comforted and have been re-reading a lot of your posts today. We mainly kept family heirlooms, stuff of my son’s when he was younger and just a few things I couldn’t part with and all we came to India with were toys, yarn, fabric, DVDs, clothes, and my husband’s guitar. We completely started over and it has been almost a year now, full of highs and lows but when I read your blog and see your posts on Instagram I feel like things I’m going through are a little more normal and I’m not alone in my mix of emotions that starting over in another place brings. Thank you!