Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Move Update #1

We will be on a plane to Morocco on January 10, so we have exactly twelve days until we have shaken off all the stuff that sticks to us (furniture, kitchen things, books, clothing, bathroom items – all we own except for three carry-ons).

I’ve listed the sofa bed and the table and chairs, as well as Ricky’s stroller. I have not placed ads for the beds yet. I’ll do that tomorrow. I’ve received a few responses to my ads. Some promising, others insane. One man wanted to know if the table was in perfect condition, otherwise he was not interested, plus he wanted me to ship it to him in Burgos. Another guy said he wanted the sofa bed, but that because he was going out of town, he wanted to pick it up tomorrow between 12 and 2 pm, and that he assumed the couch was disassembled.

I’ve packed one and a half suitcases of clothing that we’re not taking with us on the trip.

I started packing a suitcase with small kitchen things I love: a few small bowls, four Japanese plates, an apron I bought in Rome when I went there with Satomi. She used it as a shawl when we went into Saint Peter’s in the Vatican (to satisfy the covered shoulders rule). I will also pack the bottle opener that makes wine bottles pop like they are champagne (Sharon gave it to me as a present for my birthday last year), a cutting board I bought in Argentina, a mortar and pestle made out of olive wood.

There’s a full suitcase with papers and photos and Ricky’s drawings.

Another suitcase will be packed with Ricky’s toys and books.

By January 7 at the latest, we will be done emptying our apartment. We’re meeting the landlord that day to give him back the keys. Our lease expires January 15, but we bought the tickets for the 10th because we are eager to be on the road and we’re really looking forward to warmer climates. We’d like a couple of days to rest before the trip, so that’s why we’re meeting the landlord on the 7th. Before that, we’ll paint Ricky’s room, because it needs it and we want to get our deposit back.

Bryan and I will stay in my parents’ house in Guadalajara for a few days starting sometime around January 5, sooner if we sell our bed right away (if we sold our bed and still needed to clean the place, we could sleep on an inflatable bed we have for a day or two). Ricky is going to my parents’ tomorrow and he’ll stay there most likely until we leave town. It is hard for us to get things in order here with Ricky around, because the move is very disorienting for him and he doesn’t want to lose anything. When we throw things into big plastic bags and he sees us, he often takes whatever we threw away out and decides he is keeping it. Old travel magazines, for example. Or boxes.

So tomorrow we’re going to my parents’ for some lunch (gnocci) and Ricky will stay there. We’ll work more productively then, hopefully. We’re probably not renting a storage area after all, although we always can at the last minute, if it gets to that. If all we have is six suitcases to leave at my parents’, then there’s room. So we’re trying to trim it down to that. It’s daunting work. Wish us luck.

5 comments:

  1. It's so stressful. Good luck. When we moved from VA to San Francisco, we took the minimum things with us. We sold most of our furniture and gave away lots and lots of stuff. We sold our cars two days prior to flying out for $400 and $500. Wished we planned better. It felt so good to just let go of the stuff. Of course since then we have accumulated more "stuff".

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  2. Lan, it is very stressful! When we left Los Angeles in 2009, it was even worse, because we'd accumulated so much. It does feel good to get rid of things!

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  3. I don't like accumulating stuff. I love the moment when you are leaving, and have nothing, and you haven't gotten anything new yet. It was really nice to not own a car here. It was the first time I hadn't had a car of my own since I was 16. I like when you have no keys in your pocket because there are no locks you can open.

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  4. I can't even imagine what it must be like. We have moved several times (at least) in the several years that we have been married, and each time I part with a little, but keep most (much to Jeff's dismay). Next year, however, I am committed to letting much of the excess go. You guys inspire me in many ways!

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  5. Anna, I'm glad to hear we're inspiring! Letting go of things is hard but so satisfying. We used to be packrats but no more.

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