I sit in my apartment and look around at everything I own. I should probably be taking care of all this stuff—wiping it down, tidying up, organizing, and who knows what else—but somewhere along the way, I lost the motivation to do much housework. In fact, I don’t think I ever had it.
There are so many things in live more enjoyable than cleaning and tidying up.
But the problem with owning things is that you have to at some point take care of them. At the very least, you need to sort them and put them in a place where they’re not scattered across the floors, chairs, tables, and other surfaces.
Some things, like decorative items, need to be dusted (though I’ve minimized that problem by having very few such things), and other things are in daily use, but lazy me enjoys starting all sorts of things without necessarily finishing (mainly crafts and baking though) and putting things away.
At times like this, the thought often crosses my mind: What would I take with me if I were moving to another country? Starting over? If, for example, I could only take what fits in one suitcase?
In the past, I would have said pictures and photo albums, but in recent years, I’ve made a point of scanning paper photos, and I now have them in digital form. All I need is computer space (or just cloud storage, really) for them. The same goes for any papers I have.
Books? Yes, I have a huge library on Reykjavík, history, and crafts. Most of them I would leave behind, maybe all of them, even though they bring me pleasure and joy. I would just need an internet wherever I end up…
You can get cooking utensils anywhere, and really all you need is a plate, a fork, a knife, a spoon, and a multi-purpose glass or cup. You can buy whatever else you might need at a thrift store (it’s amazing how little you actually need).
My clothes? I’ll never be accused of being a person who follows fashion, and my newest clothes are my hand-knit sweaters. The most recent store-bought items (apart from hiking shoes and sneakers) are probably from 2018 or 2020, so there’s little value in them, and many are worn out anyway. So, I’d probably try, if possible, to move somewhere where the weather is decent and you don’t need much clothing. Still, it’s good to have some change and outerwear for various weather—at least a coat and jacket. And shoes.
You can, of course, buy clothes most everywhere.
What’s left, then? Well, what I would find hard to leave behind are my computer gear and my craft supplies. Knitting needles and crochet hooks at least (I’d likely need to sort and select—my collection is quite large), yarn (same here, choosing what I can’t part with—and possibly buying more if I manage to knit through what I already have).
The sewing machine and fabrics are too heavy and bulky, but of course, I could take up slow stitching (hand sewing). You don’t need much for that, and I already have most, if not all, of it.
And then it’s just about sorting… and dreaming of a minimalist life in a small village or town where the weather treats you kindly, and life requires nothing more than a cup of coffee and good company.