Garage Sales, Garbage and Getting Rid of Things

Since school ended on June 5th, I have realized that watching the Today Show, The View and Ellen is much more desirable than doing what I am supposed to be doing or organizing my life. I knew that I needed to be moving all of my things out of my apt. one way or another and boxing items that I wanted to keep but watching television and lounging by the pool proved much more fun!

Instead of throwing away all of my things or donating them to the Goodwill, I started by holding a Garage Sale (which I learned should have been called a Yard Sale) on my good friend Aimee's front lawn. Making a few dollar bills is always nice too! Too prepare, I spent an entire week gathering items that I knew would not be going in the suitcase to Dubai or stored at la casa Caskey in Seattle for 2 years. Here is a photo of my garage sale pile! Yikes!
The Garage Sale brought me a few hundred bucks but the effort and work to hold the garage sale was rough. I did not even have to post the signs and people starting hovering over the tables, bargaining, grabbing, etc. I sold everything from old work clothes, a guitar with an awesome pink case, I mean you name it, it was probably there! I also managed to donate a few things to Goodwill which is also nice!

Next came moving out of my apartment and cleaning the entire place. It was only a one bedroom but geez, I spent all of last Saturday, June 27th mopping, sweeping, dusting, scrubbing ... all in hopes of getting my deposit fully reimbursed. Now I know why people just pay people to clean. If I learned anything from moving out of my beautiful apartment on Commonwealth it is not to move in or out in June or any other time when the thermostat reaches 100 degrees!

Last but certainly not least, I am currently staying near downtown Houston in Melanie's town home on the bottom floor. It is a nice location and all my things are in her garage waiting to be piled into my car for the road trip home with my Daddo to Seattle. Since I arrived here last Saturday, I have combed through my goods a second time only to release more items to the recycling, Goodwill or garbage gods!

Getting rid of "stuff" can be an wonderful feeling! I have been evaluating in the past few weeks all of the essential everyday items that I truly need. Because otherwise it is most certainly not coming along with me half way around the world!