A Question of Heels…
In the whole process of moving, the biggest mental strain was deciding what the heck to bring with us. I mean, honestly, what do you take with you on a 2-10 year journey in what is essentially a big tin can? Certain things were obvious. For example, the necessity of bringing 3 different expresso makers was self-evident and needed no further thought. Other things were maybe’s, for example do you need 2 or 4 cognac glasses (we went with 4, just in case). Then, there were the real mind-busters, the biggest of which turned out to be a question of heels. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I spend the majority of my time as a walking advertisement for camping clothes, will spiff-up slightly for formal occasions such as a night out, and own exactly 2 dresses the last of which was used on New Year’s Eve 2006.
So, do I or do I not bring a pair of heels?
You see, it’s not just the heels. If you bring the heels you have to bring the outfit that goes with it, plus accessories and other such nonsense. Paul, of course, was incredibly helpful in his suggestion “whatever you think dear”, so after that limited exchange I decided to pose the question to the general public on Facebook. After multiple replies & analyses, which included whether or not to bring a floppy hat (thanks, Sis), the heels were voted in. So they are now sitting in the closet, safely unused so far. Time will tell if we made the right decision.
For those starting out in this quest, here’s my advice
- Kitchen Stuff – your RV kitchen is going to be just like your regular kitchen…really! So bring everything you have at home. Put the part-time stuff in plastic storage bins underneath the RV and the full-time stuff up top.
- Glass & Cutlery – some people go w/ the plastic stuff, but I say stick with the real McCoy. You can put glasses in wine-boxes when you travel and put non-slip separators between your plates.
- Clothes – you use 10% of your closet now, so bring that and you’ll have plenty of space left-over…trust me.
- Decorations – bring a few to spiff up the place. Quake-Hold or Museum putty is excellent stuff and keeps it all nailed down.
- Books – bring a few and buy the rest on a Kindle or paperbackswap.com along the way.
- Camping, computing & Photographic equipment – bring it ALL…of course.
- Games – toss a few in. They will come in handy when you’re in the desert, internet and satellite are down and you’re staring at each others mugs and wondering how you got here.
- Hoses – bring LOTS….by that I mean RV hoses. Have extras of everything (this goes back to the dumping thing…you don’t want a full black-tank with a failed hose if you get the picture).
- Outdoor gear – comfy chairs, mat, collapsible table, portable grill
After the whole move was finished we were amazed at how much space we had left over. Many months of perfectly good stressing had come to naught, and we were happily settled and ready to go.
For me it was a question of flip flops…how many pairs are needed????
Eventhough I’ve lived most of the last few years barefoot, I found the only thing I missed while traveling for a year was my extensive shoe collection =)
hmmm, I suspect that unless you make a concerted effort to wear them, they will remain in the back of that closet 🙂
Nina, I’m so glad you took some heels! I would have been too sad thinking about them being left behind! Much love and kisses, looking forward to hearing more about your adventure! xxx:o)!
You should publish a book on this topic!
Getting rid of the 90% of stuff you don’t need and won’t use can be pretty therapeutic, I am sure.
Have stayed in the same flat for 4 years now. Getting time to move. Moving is a pretty good way to clear out junk… not quite as good as moving to a roving home…