Packing the Essentials for Europe

It was a pretty surreal experience packing up my life on St. Thomas.  I had been there for 10 years, apparently acquired a lot of stuff & had become somewhat of a pack rat.  I had moved into my perfectly sized studio apartment only 2 years previous and didn’t really think that I had that much stuff! 

The plan was, to pack my suitcases with the essential for Europe, store some things in a storage space at Tillett Gardens and the rest, well; I didn’t think there would be that much left.

Now, the phrase ‘essential for Europe’ was a little tricky.  There was great debate among my friends and I about whether 3 suitcases and my personal item were too much.  Please keep in mind 1. I am a girl 2. The weather this time of year is tricky and 3. Well, lets just say that I like options!!!

Step one was to invite my Fashion-ista friend Lisa over, have a couple of drinks & go through my closet.  I was instructed not to pack or save anything that was ripped, stained, need repairing or didn’t fit correctly.  I also had a rule of my own, that if I hadn’t worn it since I had moved, it clearly wasn’t moving again.  However, in hind-sight, my rule kind of sucked, since I had lived in the TROPICS and was moving to a more uhhh temperate climate and let’s just say, I could now use a couple of more of those long sleeved shirts and a less of the tank tops :/ 

Step two was to go through the rest of my apartment & decide what should be stored & what should be given away.  THIS was a little easier, since I really didn’t have that much space to keep a lot of kitchen or home furnishings.

Step three, probably the hardest, was to organize my art studio.  This is where the pack rat in me really came out.  I am an artist that uses a lot of recycled & repurposed items in creations, I like to experiment with different medias and try new mediums. What can I say?!

On the last night that I spent in my apartment, July 30^th I remember having kind of an epiphany.  In the previous week, I had disassembled my gallery, sold all of the art supplies from my art supply store, had packed up my suitcases, stored 10 plastic cartons & given away or sold 3/4 of my possession.  It all kind of hit me, what I was doing and whether or not I was crazy.  So, I got out my computer and wrote for this blog.  Here is an excerpt:

“I keep reminding myself that I am only packing, organizing and giving away, THINGS.  Inanimate objects that can always be replaced.  And I guess that I am replacing them with other, living things that are so much more meaningful in life.  Love and Happiness and Adventure and Inspiration, things that every human needs to survive.  Do I REALLY think that I will miss my BCBG Tutu skirt in Denmark?!  Well… maybe a little. 

Maybe it is these items that bring me comfort and a feeling of stability, the same comfort and stability that I feel when I come home to my little apartment.  It is mine and the Tutu skirt is mine and… breath in, breath out.  Focus.  Sip of vodka/soda… focus. 

Do I feel like as long as I have all of this stuff I am ok?  Should I be repeating the mantra “Less is More” and making some sort of correlation about  ‘baggage’? 

Wow.  There you have it!  Funny that in the last 2 years I have rated all of the guys that I have dated with how much ‘baggage’ they have.  Everyone has a ‘personal item’ and most have a ‘carry-on’.  However, if you have ‘checked baggage’ (divorced or kids), let alone ‘additional items’ (jail time, alcoholic, drug abuser, no job, no car ((this is important on St. Thomas!)), or no close-toed shoes ((one of my quirks)),) serious consideration has to be made. 

So, should I be thinking about how much baggage I am taking with me?  I mean, come on ladies, it’s 3 months!  Are 2 checked bags too many?”

Which brings me to really wishing that I had packed more warm clothes.  And the fact that I DO feel lighter, freer and a little liberated not having an apartment, a car, any keys or possessions to bog down my life.  I definitely purged a lot of stuff and a lot of ‘baggage’ that I may have been carrying around with me.  I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. 

The experience overall was life changing and completely worth it, however, I do miss the Tutu skirt from BCBG & cannot wait to wear it again :)