Moving out & packing up

For months Cameron was on my case to get organized and thin our belongings in anticipation of renting our house. Somehow there was never any spare time as my job and Griffin are all consuming. But as our departure date loomed closer, Cameron posted a flaming red “count-down” calendar outside our bedroom, which did the job! Suddenly it dawned on me just how much I had to do, including packing up enough belongings to ensure Griffin and I would comfortable on our trip.

This task was complicated because during the pandemic, I picked up many new hobbies — candle-making, soap-making, resin-art, painting, and ceramics. My house was now filled with a variety of art and craft supplies, and half finished creations. While in isolation, Griffin and I spent most of our free time learning random new crafting skills and making messes–our happy place. Luckily, Cameron constructed a new garage, complete with an attic for all of my stuff! And so I began. I quickly became overwhelmed with all my belongings! Lesson learned, less is more and I NEVER need to purchase more beauty supplies or another pair of shoes, dresses, or suits. Griffin was a trooper and gave away 90% of his toys, except for his massive (and beloved) Lego collection.

As far as what to pack for nearly a year of travel, after referencing a few blogs, I settled on a few dresses, several pairs of leggings and jeans and a variety of blouses and sweaters. Spring weather in Europe is notoriously unpredictable. Plus, since I’d still be working (and on Zoom calls) and Europeans are smart dressers, I knew I’d have to ditch the 5 pairs of yoga pants that had been in near constant rotation for the past two years. (And by the way, I haven’t seen anyone wearing yoga pants here!) Because Griffin is a wee boy, his clothes barely made a dent in my suitcase and fortunately he has never expressed strong opinions about his digs. After I packed up and confirmed my suitcase was less than 50 pounds, I ended up ditching my Canon SLR camera and all my lenses for a mirrorless Nikon Z 50 and a set of watercolor paints. My laptop and accessories took precedent over my hefty camera accessories. Next time!