Simplifying my life

Part of preparing for this move has been to simplify my life in a big way, meaning I've sold or given away most of my earthly possessions. For some things, it has been surprisingly easy to let go. Others, such as my books, have been difficult.

I've had at least 4 garage sales and three book sales and I still find myself boxing up wonderful things (well, at least I think they're wonderful) and giving them to the Salvation Army. The biggest surprise was how attached I am to my books...and how many I actually had of them!

So here's the rundown of what I'm actually taking to Germany:

• Suitcases: 3
• Boxes being shipped: 2

That's it. No really, that's all I'm taking. The teacher whose apartment I'm taking over has left most of his things for me so I really don't have space to store a ton of stuff. Also, it's really expensive to ship things! Suddenly, that cute $2 find at Target isn't such a deal anymore.

My hope is to keep my stuff to a minimum. I don't want to be one of those people who accumulates stuff just to have stuff. I want to live lightly so to speak without a bunch of possessions to keep me from doing what I love to do: travel.

So if you have time this lovely summer break, I would highly recommend simplifying your life. You'd be amazed what you find in your closet and what you can bless other people with!