Some time ago 
Though, it hasn't always been so. It's funny because at the moment I'm preparing to sell my flat and of course, the fewer things you have, the less of a hassle it is. I actually moved in here in November 2013 so I think this is the home I have stayed in the longest so far in my adult life (even though I have rented out this flat for 4 years so I haven't actually lived here the entire time since 2013). But what I wanted to say is that when I moved in here back in 2013 I had over 50 boxes (plus furniture). And I remember thinking to myself how did I get here? I remember I had an urge already back then to just get rid of my things and leave (which I actually did 2 1/2 years later). It just felt so burdensome and heavy. All these things. I felt tied down.
I went through the process of getting rid of most of my stuff and then I left with only 9 kilos of luggage to travel the world. This was back in 2016. I prepared my optimized luggage quite a lot and it was such a great feeling to know that I had everything I needed in my backpack. I felt so free.
And since then, I have always traveled with carry-on luggage only. (With a few exceptions when I needed to transport some stuff).
After my travels I ended up living 3 years in Berlin and during that time I didn't really accumulate that much stuff. But well, of course, it was more than I could fit in a backpack. But when I moved flats there (which I did 4 times) I could easily fit all of my stuff in a car, which was great but every time I still felt I had too much stuff.
And when I left Berlin in September 2020 I considered storing some of my stuff there because I thought that I might come back soon. But then I felt into it and I didn't like the energy of that. To have some stuff somewhere that I probably would forget about anyway. And also to have that kind of responsibility. Looking back I'm so glad I didn't. I haven't been back since and I can't even remember what I considered storing there.
But well, after 3 years in Berlin I had more stuff than I could bring onto a flight so a few boxes and suitcases I had shipped here. But really, I don't think it was that bad. And I remember it felt so good when they arrived. My life in Berlin wasn't at all about my stuff and yet it was a very good period of my life (at least that's how I look back at it now 🙂).
I actually got my flat more or less ready for the market already a year ago. But then I decided to wait, for various reasons, but the pandemic definitely being the major one. Anyway, of course, my realtor told me to get rid of some furniture, especially the wardrobes I had in my 'inner hallway'. And I thought, ok, I actually don't have a lot of clothes anymore, I'll manage and I'll move out soon anyway. So I sold them and got really selective about what clothes to keep. And now it's been over a year and this still works fine 🙂
Some weeks ago I felt the small closet I still have felt too stuffed and decided to give away more to charity. I would say I have come a long way. I used to have 100+ dresses and God knows how many shoes.
Keeping my belongings to a minimum gives me a sense of freedom. And freedom is probably the strongest value for me. There's so much more I could write about this but I'll end it here for now. I already have a few ideas for more posts on this topic 🙂
Thanks for reading 🌸
Love and blessings to you all 💚
