The Apartment and Stuff

The 18-month lease at my apartment ended August 2016, and I would not be renewing it. In the months prior, I didn’t buy any new furniture, decorations, or clothes. In the summer I began selling off whatever I could, mostly new clothes and shoes that I had never worn.

The last few weeks before my move out date were brutal. Posting furniture and electronics on craigslist, coordinating pick ups, donating or throwing away whatever I could. Trust me, this is harder than you think! I had way too much stuff, and it was both emotionally and physically exhausting to sort through everything, deciding what should go and how it should go. I ended up donating many bags and bins to Goodwill and to The Bowery Mission.

In everything I did that year, getting rid of my stuff had to be the toughest. In the last few days and hours, I ended up throwing away so many boxes, worth hundreds of dollars worth of stuff that was left unsold. I just wish more of it ended up in the hands of people who would appreciate things like a brand new set of Netrunner and nerdy Photoshop magazines!

Once everything was said and done, I ended up with a few bags and a box — currently stored at my moms house. Even though it was tough, I look back and am really happy I got rid of most of my possessions. I didn’t realize that the stuff was weighing on me, and now I feel so free to just get up and go wherever without worrying so much. I am now more mindful of what I purchase — mostly because it has to be carried with me when I travel and I’ve got nowhere to store useless stuff.

“Moving”

After moving out in August, I brought my belongings to Florida. It’s where I’m from and my new “home base”, so I spent a few weeks there — establishing residency, registering to vote again, getting a new ID, setting up a PO box, registering a Florida LLC, and getting new health insurance. Some digital nomads really do become homeless, but it seemed so drastic. I am lucky to be able to have a place to send my mail, to come back and rest for a few weeks before leaving again, and to spend time with family.