Today is my last full day in my house. When I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll be doing last minute cleaning and packing in preparation for the movers to arrive. Then, I’ll meet up with my new tenants and hand over the keys. It still feels a little unreal, but I’ve been thinking about making this change for a while…
Parring Down & Pulling Up Roots
I’ve been looking to pull up some of my roots in Dallas and to lead a less tethered life. A life with more travel. I know a number of people, mostly minimalist and travel bloggers, who live with almost no possessions traveling from place to place with nothing more than the pack on their back and what they can carry. That’s not what I’m looking to do.
I’m aiming to live with less so I can spend my time and energy on what matters, and for now, that means renting out of my house.
There’s a lot of stuff that goes along with a house, ongoing maintenance. I’m tired of doing it all by myself. As I started to think about what the next few years of my life might entail, I decided I wanted to travel more and have a little more freedom financially to take the next steps I’ve been planning.
I wanted to feel lighter, more nimble. So I sold or donated all of the things that I wouldn’t miss or need in the near future, and I kept only the things that I love and the things that I can imagine using very soon.
Where will I go?
Thankfully, my roots in Dallas run deep. So I have a place to lay my head and a closet in which to store the small number of things I’ve decided to keep. Then, I have the time and freedom to make any other changes that make sense without feeling rushed to do everything at once.
I’m also hoping to spend more time in NYC, San Francisco, Portland, and ultimately abroad… Trips to Southeast Asia, Northern Africa (probably Morocco or Egypt, not Libya…), and anywhere in South America are all on the list.
What if I regret it?
There is a lot I will miss about living here. My house has been my refuge, which also makes it really easy to stay holed up here, well inside my comfort zone. It’s close to my friends and family, and I will definitely miss that.
I don’t expect to live this way forever, and I have a really great house. So I decided to let someone else live here for a little while instead of selling it. Then I can undo anything I’ve done in a year’s time if I so desire. It’s only a year.
What next?
It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link on the chain of destiny can be handled at a time. – Sir Winston Churchill
I’m not sure it’s a mistake to look far ahead, but I definitely think it’s a mistake to plan too far ahead without leaving room for chance and change. I have an idea of what I want the next few years to look like, and I’m doing my best to make it happen, but not all of it is under my control.
So I’m doing what I can and planning for contingencies, while leaving the rest open — to be handled one link at a time.
