In Between a Full and Empty Place...

So I was away for a few days at a conference for work.  I was within an hour of home but was required to spend the nights and days in a hotel so I couldn’t come home.  I received a call from my husband stating that one of his cable customers was looking for a stove and refrigerator.  They negotiated a price for the ones we have in our home and she came the next day to pick them up.  Luckily, we had a small refrigerator in the basement that we can use until we leave on our adventure. 

One thing to know about deaf dogs is that while they sleep really soundly through all types of noise, however, ANY light or movement will wake them up immediately.  Being that they are young and hyper, we try NOT to wake them whenever possible or it becomes a chaotic game of getting them outside and back settled in their beds.  That night, my husband got thirsty during the night and left the lights off to go into the kitchen to get a bottle of water.  He said he found himself standing in the kitchen and reaching to open the door of a refrigerator that wasn’t there, realized what he was doing and started cracking up. 

Ahhh that in between period of purging when you still need things but are ridding yourself of everything.  Fun times!

The How...

There is a reason this is the last of these segments to write.  #1, it’s still ongoing and #2 it’s not easy.  Getting started is definitely the hardest part but you tend to gain steam as you go.  That being said, it’s truly a mindset.  I mean it’s SOOOO hard and then something clicks in your brain.  It’s like learning to walk or using a muscle that never has been used before.  I remember when I taught myself to raise one eyebrow.  I was in about 10^th grade and decided it would be cool if I could raise one and decided on my right one.  ???  So I would practice in the mirror and put my finger on the muscle above my eyebrow, trying to teach it to go up and if it did, both went up so then I held one down and so forth.  Eventually, I did teach myself and now it just jumps up at will but until then WOW, it was nearly impossible.

I have always been someone who donates a lot to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and to our local Humane Society that has a retail store where you can also donate items and the money earned goes towards the clinic to help animals.  We were already working as fosters for them so they got a large part of our household, pet items and clothing.  At first, you begin by giving things you no longer need and don’t really want so that’s easy.  Then you start getting to things you don’t need but DO want!  Then it gets harder.  Here are some tips I have compiled that are helping me.

Use the whole three bin (or area) system like on the TV shows.  Keep, Donate/Sell and Trash.  You will be surprised how much trash you have.  The first time you go through an area (such as your clothing) you will find a LOT in the save pile and that is ok.  Revisit that keep bin/area every couple of weeks and you will find it’s easier to continue the sort 

Like me, you probably have multiples of items that are in great shape but you really don’t need one, but REALLY don’t need two.  For instance I have 2 really long, heavy wool coats.  Now my plan is to keep away from any really cold weather but I LOVE these coats.  I looked forever to find them during my life and that is why I have two of them.  They are basically blankets with buttons J  Besides, one has a hood which makes it TOTALLY different from the other, even if they ARE both wool, black and floor length J  I thought about the poor people I see downtown with NO coat or with an inadequate coat and asked myself, why do you need TWO when they have NONE!  That helped in being able to put ONE in the donate/sell pile.  Mind you ONE.  I still haven’t gotten to the point of losing that other one…it’s a process, folks.  I also would play the game “if there was a fire and you could only save one which one would you grab?”  If I was still undecided, I would pick one up and say OK THIS IS THE ONE I KEEP and then see if I felt relieved or sad.  Did I mention one has a HOOD?! 

Have a garage sale.  Mind you, you won’t make it rich but depending on your area, the type of items you have and the pricing, you CAN make some money.  It takes a lot of work and time so honestly if given the situation again, I would probably not do this unless I had a few really nice items that would bring in more money and not selling my clothes for $1.00 each again

When it comes to high ticket items, like motorcycles, or appliances, etc., start by posting on your Facebook page.  I gave my FB friends first nod at my items and gave them “friend prices” which they could share with THEIR friends but THEIR friends had to contact me and refer back to my friend.  That way I also didn’t have to deal with any scary strangers coming to my house and killing me like off Craigslist, etc.  Also, you are less likely to get “looky-loos” as I call them that say they are interested and then waste your time and gas meeting them and then they never get back to you, or never show in the first place.  Surprisingly, we were able to sell MOST items this way.  The best part about selling to friends is that you get to see your stuff again when you visit.  J  Also Facebook has many “garage sale” groups in many areas so I was also able to list things in those as well as using Craiglist for some of the more specialized items.  This extra money of course is what helps fund your dream.  However, no one cares how much you paid or how much more you have invested in this item.  It’s all about what they are willing to pay.  In short, you will more than likely take a loss

The items I have struggled with the most are unfinished projects and momentos.  Having to sell an unfinished project to me is like failure.  I never got to finishing it, etc.  There is this hope in an unfinished project and in selling it you not only admit defeat but lose that hope of what could have been.  Get over it and let someone else finish and enjoy it!  That is all I have to offer on that subject J   Because I never had kids, I have things that normally you would pass to your kids, dolls, etc.  Also because I have lost so many people in my life, I have a ton of cards, things they bought or made me, etc.  I have found it a LITTLE easier by taking a photo of it and keeping THAT instead of the item.  If their item has value to others, I try to donate it so someone else can enjoy

Allow yourself to keep SOME stuff that isn’t needed.  This may change for me in the future but for now I have allotted myself a cabinet with a small footprint where I am placing ALL unneeded but wanted items.  Mostly it’s filled with cards, tax returns (ok those might be needed), cards and letters, etc.  I do have a few “item”, items but you get the gist.  If it doesn’t fit in there, it doesn’t stay.  That way I don’t feel SO cheated and empty but it’s also controlled. It lets me control whether I want to keep 1 large item or many smaller items and somehow that makes it easier for me

If you know the setting, space and area of where you are moving to (be it an RV, TH whatever) it’s easier because you know how much space you have to work with.  I am a big fan of baskets and other items to organize things.  So there were things I had to purchase to get organized even when just going from 1500 – 800 sq. ft.  That is ok!  Just don’t get crazy and bring more unneeded things into the house.  In fact, if something catches my eye now, I play a game with myself that I can only bring it into the house if I get rid of three other things.  I purchased a GREAT white, no iron blouse that can be dressed up or down and was able to rid myself of 2 other white shirts that didn’t fit as nicely that required ironing AND another white long sleeved t-shirt to bring that baby home.  AND I paid less than $5.00 as I got it at the 2^nd hand store!  No matter what the item is now, if it’s not NEEDED then I only can bright it in if I rid myself of 3x as many items.  There is nothing magic in the number 3 but it works for me J

After a while I started feeling like I had learned a secret.  I remember checking out at the grocery and looking over at the magazines and items near the register area.  Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I struggle with patience and just being still so waiting in lines for me is killer.  Normally I play on my phone or find something to look at or read to keep my sanity.  I couldn’t believe how many ads for THINGS and having the right THINGS and buying the best JEANS FOR YOUR BODY TYPE and smiling kids with bright shiny new THINGS I saw.  I chuckled to myself.  Not in a “holier than thou” type of way but in a “wow, we are SO programmed” type of way.  It’s no wonder we all struggle with having too much.  It’s too easy to do and it’s so encouraged and even dictated by our culture.  There is nothing wrong with having stuff and I don’t claim to be “green” or have a “tiny footprint”, etc. and if you do that is great.  I just know that for ME it’s very stressful to have so much STUFF around taking up your time and energy and money; and for ME it kept me away from the people and animals and nature that gives me so much joy!  It’s a process.  I hope those around me seeing me go through this are inspired to just even slim down their items a little.  Just take one more minute, to consider whether bringing that item into your house will increase your joy or just your debt.  For that, it’s worth sharing this experience.

The When...

We really started moving physically toward this dream much quicker than we had planned.  After talking and deciding upon our return from our trip this Winter, we set a goal of 2 years.   My husband had a similar plan before our trip and had talked in passing about living tiny but I thought it was one of his many passing phases.  I mean how serious could a man with a full house, attics, garage and pole barn be about ridding himself of most of his possessions?  I mean yeah, for Christmas he had purchased us a small chemical toilet to be used in the big media room and had purchased some solar panels and batteries and had been testing and utilizing them in our home.  He also had been testing out wood burners and stoves that burn wood pellets but still…….

After deciding on the 2 year timeframe, he made a plan for us to live primarily our Winter out in the media room.  He was going to build a murphy bed on one of the walls and use our foam mattress off of our bed.  This room was originally a 2 garage attached garage that we had converted into a family room with a wood burner and window A/C.  Our washer and dryer were located in this room along with a restaurant style booth, arcade video game and projector system with various gaming consoles and three recliners.  We also had a small microwave and refrigerator.

In May, I received a message from the couple renting our smaller house.  They were going to purchase a house around Memorial Day and move back up into upper Michigan where they grew up.  I was in a panic.  Fixing up the house and finding new renters was never fun or cheap!  I had been waiting SO long for summer and here it was May and now I was going to spend most of June in town and away from my pool fixing up the little house!  

Then it hit me….. This was my chance to see just how serious he was about this.  If my husband
was serious about moving towards tiny, he wouldn’t mind moving into the smaller home where it would be cheaper and would force us to begin our purge, right?  He never liked living in the city so I knew his first reaction would not be a quick yes.  I called him and told him we needed to talk that night about an idea and basically called him out on the carpet and said if he was SERIOUS about moving and living tiny then this was an easy fix and it would make it easier to save money, etc.  He wasn’t quick to agree but came around really quickly! Much too quickly for my comfort! 

He began selling off his toys and preparing for our move.  The purge was now upon us and it was PAINFUL!  I have to admit that when I watch those hoarding shows on TV I get a little frustrated with those who cry and scream when having to part with their pets fur on the floor or used gum wrappers but inside, there is a part of me that relates when they say things like “well this was for a craft project that I never got to.” 

Our home was FULL of partially completed projects both on my part and his.  How do you just get rid of EVERYTHING? 

                        Hogan and me enjoying a snooze.            2 of our dogs enjoying a little supercross.

                         

Blogging and Vlogging....

So my husband, in an attempt to help guide others, has started a Vlog on youtube.  It is called our travelingzoo and he is using this channel to show the repairs he is making currently on the RV as well as any other technical type information during our travels.  This is for those who don't like to read my long posts :)  and/or are looking for more direction on the "Hows" of living in an RV and eventually the build of our tiny home.

I hope you will go to the video and subscribe.  You will get to meet us and our wonderful furry family!

Here is a link to his first video: 

https://youtu.be/TSL_R1HBKKU

The Where...

When our travel day comes, we are definitely headed South to warmer winters.  As a cable installer, my husband spends a lot of time working outside in the weather.  We have experienced brutal winters the last two years so, we took a last minute trip last February.  My husband literally said “get off work cuz we are headed South”.  I asked “How far South?” and he replied “Until there is no snow and it’s not cold”.  We packed up the 4 dogs and got in the RV and headed towards warmth.  I remember how excited we were when we could see green on the side of the road instead of the large mounds of dirty snow and salt.  We rolled the windows open and just breathed in air that no longer hurt your lungs and no longer left a sting on your cheeks.  We drove late into the night to avoid getting stuck in a snowstorm that was on its way.  Good thing we did because Kentucky got up to a foot of snow during that storm. 

Our first night we spent trying out the “boondocking at Walmart” thing he had read about on websites and watching Youtube videos.  I think that term is funny because it reminds of the word “boondoggle” and an old “Waltons” episode, anyways.  I have to admit I waited half- awake the entire night waiting for that knock on the door to tell us to leave but it never came. 

The second day we drove into Georgia and stayed at Stone Mountain state park.  I had visited there one time when my sister lived in the Atlanta area and thought the area was beautiful.  The day we pulled in it was over 80 degrees out.  We walked around with the dogs in short sleeved t-shirts and felt astounded that the date was the same here as at home and they were enjoying such incredulous weather.  We wondered what the dogs thought.  They are in the cold, go into a little building and come out and it’s warm??!  It rained that night and we woke up to a more “normal” temperature for that area during that time of year, of around 50 degrees.  Still nice but we had the bug.  We had tasted what it was like to be warm in February and we wanted MORE!  We pulled up camp and headed further South.  My husband had never been to Florida so we drove a few miles into the state to the welcome center.  We then went back into Georgia and found a campground with a fenced in dog run area.  That is the great thing about having internet access.  Years ago, I would be with my parents looking in camping guides and looking for signs for places to camp.  It would say they had swimming pond and you would arrive only to find a small muddy hole for swimming.  Now many campgrounds have virtual tours and you can always find reviews, good and bad from those who have stayed there.  After one night there, we went back up a few miles North and stayed at another campground which offered fewer amenities but was very clean and friendly.

The next day after a day at the drag strip watching racing, yes RACING, in FEBRUARY, we headed back North.  We took 2 days to get home, sleeping one night at another Walmart and stopping to nap one day at a roadside rest.  The dogs were well behaved and loved all of the one on one attention they got and numerous walks.  While I missed my cats, never once did we miss all of the “things” we left behind and both secretly wished we never had to return home.  This was the spark that started the fire that is burning brightly in both of us now and fueling this life change.      

Me with a sunburn IN FEBRUARY at the race track!

Husband and me at the Florida Welcome Center

2 of our dogs at Stone Mountain State Park enjoying the view

The Why...

When I informed my employer that I was leaving my full time position and headed out of the northern cold winters, I was met with disbelief.  When I explained our plan to take our RV down with 4 dogs and 2 cats and no jobs, I was met with pure surprise.  The looks I received from people ranged from shock to disapproving and for a few, shared excitement.  They were the minority for sure.  Most people started with questions and disapproval almost immediately.  “How will you do this?  Where will you live?  Do you have family there?  It gets REALLY hot in the summer!”  When I explained our plan was to be back up north for the summers they only became more emotional.  I think emotional is a perfect word. 

The Who...

You may be wondering who are these people?  I have some quick facts.  We are a married couple of 11 years with no children, at least none of the human kind.  We have 4 dogs and 2 cats.  We have combined, 4 living siblings and 3 parents living within 1 hour of our home.  My husband has worked most recently as a full time cable installer for 9 years and I have worked full time in human resources departments for 17 years.

When this story began we were living in a 1500 square ft. house on a little over 3.5 acres while owning another property in the city with a 800 square ft home that we rented out over a 9 year period.  We owned motorcycles and other motorized toys over the years.  My husband, while being very tech savvy, used to work as a mechanic, so picking up broken items and fixing them up, using them and selling them was ongoing.  

The What...

I took Journalism in HS and had big dreams of becoming a writer someday.  That has happened in a sense.  My various jobs over the years have allowed me to express myself creatively but always under the restriction of a Manager or Director.  This is my first public attempt at something unfiltered.  A place, like my diary, where I can say whatever I want without the editing and tweaking and pc-ing up of someone because "...you have to remain professional as you are representing the company, blah blah..." Warning there will be misspelled and misused words and words I make up. If you can't handle it, get out now.  
You leaving me nasty English lessons won't change me so save yourself the heartache.  
That being said, lets start with the Who.