Moving Detritus

The boxes of non-essentials are packed. This was not difficult. You don't miss the things you don't use on a regular basis, so you feel like you are ahead of the game when you look at your box pile. You think reassuring thoughts, "I've totally got this!" or "We really don't have much packing left". This is your brain lying to you. You have tons of things left to pack, and dozens more decisions to make on the items that go into the box.

I find myself staring at an old backpack of mine. It's an LLBean messenger bag that barely got any use. I realized that it was much to large to carry on one shoulder without pain, so I stopped using it at all. It was in almost new condition. And had my initials on it, KRM. Wait. Those are not my initials anymore. So why have I kept it this long? Who knows. But it stuck around until just now, when I packed it up to donate to the thrift store.

Clothes were actually among the easier items to pack up. Have I worn this in the last 6 months? Do I plan to wear it in the coming months in Europe? Will I want to wear it 1 YEAR from now when we return? If the answer to these questions is no, then it goes in the donate bag.

Those strappy stilettos I bought to wear to a party and promptly kicked off after an hour, and then never wore again? Donate. The rotating spice rack that was too large for my counter? Donate. The tea/soup mugs that were unwieldy? Donate. That part is easy. Saves room in a box and de-clutters my future.

But what about those things that aren't so easy to sort and separate into useful and useless? What do I do with the tiny boxes of pencil lead? Sure, I haven't depleted a pencil of it's included lead since sophomore year of high school when taking algebra II and chemistry, but what if I need it? What if I have to tape something up? The scotch tape stays out. I am paralyzed with indecision over what to do with the ten chapsticks I lost while we lived here and have now found since we have no furniture for it to hide under. I know I will lose chapstick again in the future, but I also know I don't want to carry around 3 tropical glitter tubes.

I call items like these moving detritus.

This debris, plus my absolute essentials are now what I am contending with. If I toss it in a box, I know that it will stay in that box for AT LEAST a year, possibly longer because I am sure that when we get into our new stateside place, I will be just as confused over how to treat it; useless or useful. Therefore, it will wait in the box while I try to make up my mind, taking up space.

I think the point of moving is to pare down the stuff you have acquired. Everyone has things that just sit around with no purpose whatsoever. And when you move, you have the opportunity to get rid of this stuff. It helps you, and it helps whoever is moving your stuff, because they will have less to carry.

Items stuck in the state of indecision will be either tossed in a box or tossed in the trash, and it will depend on the mood I am in at the time.