My Thoughts
As I sat at my computer tonight, I was replying to an email, and I realized that I felt like sharing something I am feeling so strongly as of late….
I am happy. I am happy to have the opportunities that we have put together for ourselves, and that have come to us by chance. I am excited to go onto new adventures. I had forgotten how invigorating it feels to go after something big. Life, after all, is about the journey, and the bigger the gole, the longer the journey, and the more things there are to enjoy along the way. I can’t let myself forget that moving to Oz isn’t just about relocating. It isn’t just about logistics and planning, paperwork and government. Moving to Oz is about enjoying the journey.
Prepping our house for the market has made my realize how much stuff we have accumulated. This stuff, which is apparently so important, binds our hands more than it frees them. This stuff causes more pain and frustration, more hours worked and more tears shed than it saves… Selling our place, packing our things, and prepping to move has made the lens through which I see life a little bit clearer again.
I once again realize how little our things matter. We have packed, sold, or given away almost 80% of the things that we had, and yet I feel no loss. I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. I feel relief. I feel freedom.
life is not about things, it is about the people we love, and the moments we share with them. It is about great laughs, barefoot walks on a sunny days, and adventures to new lands. It is about helping people, and learning new things, and being proud of something well done. It is about all the intangible aspects of life, that have so little to do with possessions.
Yes, things often help us to enjoy our life more – but I think, at least for me, I will be more careful in how I choose those things. It is a delicate balance between the enjoyment of new things, and the heavy load of too much stuff.
I look forward with greater and greater excitement to our future.. We have gone far in only a few months, but there is so much farther to go. Rather than impatiently tap my foot, I’ve decided to enjoy the journey. Everything takes on a different urgency now that we have decided to leave. Our dear friends and our families, our surroundings, and all that we enjoy in Vancouver have suddenly become more precious…. And that too…. That is a wonderful gift.
To all of you reading – thank you for taking our journey with us.
