Hey, remember when we sold all of our stuff to travel around the world?

Just over two years ago we were in serious purge mode in prep for our big trip. Many of our things were sold at a "friends and family" yard sale, which basically paid for our gas fund across Canada. Our follow-up public yard sale probably yielded another couple hundred bucks; a few bigger-ticket items including my car sold on Craigslist. A lot of things were given away too, like those duffle bags of work clothing that went to an organization that helps low-income folks with job placement, and the last of our usable kitchen and houseware stuff that was picked up by a woman whose family had just moved into a new apartment after being down and out for many months. So all of that was pretty awesome.

before

the morning of the "friends and family" sale

the afternoon of the "public" yard sale

after

It's just stuff, yes. But honestly, while it was easy to let most of our stuff go, it was very odd to watch our meager possessions dwindle down to almost nothing. Add to that, living in total chaos for about three weeks and not being able to find certain things, or knowing if we even still had certain things, was pretty stressful. (And the "public" yard sale, where strangers came through our apartment and rummaged through our stuff? Let's just say some of those people are... um... kinda weird... and leave it at that.)

But everyone who came through the apartment kept asking why we were selling all of our stuff so we got to tell our story over and over, which turned the stress into fun, and we didn't even miss 99.9% of the stuff once it was gone.

we were left with this stuff

which turned out to be more than enough

Right now my parents are in the process of relocating after being in the same house for over 40 years. As you can probably imagine, it's been quite an endeavor. Prior to our arrival they downsized quite a bit using these guiding principals as they sorted through rooms. When we got into town we helped them offload a lot more and pack up the rest.

For the most part, they've been donating unwanted items to their local branch of the Salvation Army. It's an organization they trust and donating is simple - just drop off a carload or arrange for a pickup. That's great. But not all charitable organizations are trustworthy (check yours here) and sometimes cold hard cash is much more helpful than a tax write-off.

Besides, you don't know who gets your items when you donate to any of the various large charities nationwide - donating is a feel-good but faceless transaction. You also don't know whether your items actually end up being sold; the desk that the Salvation Army wouldn't take a month ago ended up going to another organization where it still sits in the parking lot, for example. And sometimes these organizations won't even take certain items (cribs, mattresses, painted furniture) for safety reasons.

So I'd like to offer five alternate suggestions for offloading your stuff. Yes, some of these methods take a little more patience and time than others. But seriously, if you've quit your job and you're about to travel the world, what else do you have to do right now? (And if you're still employed, hire us to offload your stuff!)

First up...

1. Community yard sales - personal garage sales are a HUGE time sink and often not worth the effort. Multi-family or community yard sales are just a fraction of the time sink and a small investment (usually $5-20 to rent a table) but the yield is higher, and they're also a lot of fun! We signed up for a small community yard sale in "the country" figuring that would be a better place to sell some of Mom's kitchenware and home decor. Turned out we were right.

one beautiful farm, one beautiful day,
one hundred dollars in sales

also a great chance to practice the stress-relieving coloring

that's all the rage for adults these days

We netted about $80 after gas and tolls, we cut our truck load by 60%, and we made some great new friends. Seeing as how we had nothing better to do that day, I'd call that a success!

I also found a local Facebook community yard sale group. I'm not sure how common these are, and the items posted ranged from crap to really nice things, but I'm good with any resource that lets me sell something while wearing my PJs.

went for $20 (it's twice as many years old)

handmade in the '60s -
soon to be a nursery dresser

turn your living room into Downton Abbey
for just $20

dates back to when furniture was made of actual wood
(take THAT, Ikea)

This Facebook yard sale page was great for the larger items we would never have carted to an actual yard sale, and because it was local there was a better chance of a bite (versus Craigslist where people from hundreds of miles away scan ads).

And then for things you can't sell at yard sales, there's always...

2. Freecycle - keeping good stuff out of landfills since 2003. It's so simple: sign up for your local yahoogroup, post an offer, read through responses and pick your recipient, and leave the stuff on your porch for pickup.

went to a woman recovering from hip surgery -

she will donate to the local library after reading

as seen in pictures from 1972 -
the recipient will paint and use to store dog leashes, gloves and other randomness

went to an antique fan -

Salvation Army wouldn't take it because it's painted

went to another antique fan -

craigslist wouldn't let me sell it because of the lock recall years ago

(even though the lock had been retrofitted for child safety)

went to a bell collector -

which I have not been since 1987

went to a psych hospital library -
apparently the patients love these

Lots of other randomness went to Freecyclers. We also offloaded several bags of leftover community yard sale items to a woman who organizes household items for military families at Andrews Air Force Base.

(You can post "wanted" ads on Freecycle too. I haven't had much luck with this yet because I've usually needed something pretty quickly. I'm looking forward to trying this when we settle down and have more time.)

A few notes on Freecycle... One, people are flaky and life happens. Just be patient. Two, the goal really is to reduce landfill (and recycling) waste and almost anything is fair game - I've offered everything from partially used Bath & Body Works hand soap to a bucket of clean plastic forks; people offer plants from their garden, appliances that don't work, jars of random nails from their shed... you name it. Three - Freecycle is the best place to find (and offload) free moving boxes.

And seriously, if someone on Freecycle won't take it, there's always the "free box" concept... Leave it outside and watch it disappear.

gone in 12 hours
(so was the defunct dishwasher we left at the curb)

Don't want to sell it or give it to a stranger? Try offering it to...

3. Friends and family - circulate pictures through emails and ask everyone to share widely. Who knows, your second cousin might want your old roll-top desk too.

Holly Hobby went to a WWOOF host's new daughter

most of my childhood bedroom set went to friends and family

happily donated to a good friend who loves this stuff

But wait, there's more.  If you have quirky stuff or period pieces, try...

4. Local theaters!  Call your local high school drama department or community theater manager. My old high school's thespians were happy to get a vintage Polaroid camera and sewing machine for use in upcoming productions. These places would probably take spare wood, used paintbrushes, and half-gallons of paint too - set construction ain't cheap and the arts ain't exactly rich these days.

you're welcome, ERHS...

... I hope these are useful someday

And finally, there's always...

5. Craigslist - really only worth it for bigger-ticket items, and when you have a lot of time before you need to get rid of something. The NordicTrack and the pine dining room set both sold for about 75% of the asking price (which was actually better than I expected), but it did take about a month before we found good buyers.

(and then I had to run outside)

(and then we had to eat on the folding table)

We still took loads to the Salvation Army on a regular basis and there's nothing wrong with that either. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Habitat for Humanity's ReStores for donations.  Sometimes, though, you just want to know that the person getting your item will really appreciate it. That's where the methods above come in.

Hope this is helpful for anyone going through a downsizing process this spring. Any other tips are welcome, leave a comment!

We now return you to your not-so-regularly scheduled travel blog posts...  Great Smoky Mountains National Park, here we come!

"We're not dead, we're resting!"

I have lost track of how many times I've said this in the last week. I've also lost track of how many times I've said "Yes, we are in Maryland - but no, we are not 'back' and no, we are not 'done'."

Many long-term travelers take an extended break in familiar territory (often known as "their parents' guest room") at some point during their travels. Reasons vary - weddings, funerals, graduations, general road weariness, health issues, unexpected $0 balances in their bank accounts... The length of the extended break also varies traveler to traveler.

Here's our version: In August 2013 we left Patrick's car with an east coast friend, so returning to Maryland at some point was always part of the plan. At some point in the last year my parents decided it was time for them to relocate, so we thought it would be cool if we could return somewhere around their estimated time frame for moving so that we could help out. About four months ago we realized we couldn't afford to travel for much longer without some sort of income, and Spring 2015 was coincidentally my parents' estimated move time frame, so the plan to return to Maryland was officially formed.

So.

We're pausing for a few weeks to help my parents with packing and minor house repairs. We've temporarily unpacked our meager bags and boxes and I'm enjoying one last stay in my childhood house and neighborhood, both of which I will probably never see again. We also plan to visit new places while we're here to keep our adventurous momentum going.

That's all well and good. It really is.

because I get to see stuff like this

and this

and this

And that's been kind of fun. It's also been fun to use our purging experience to help my parents. (Looking to downsize? HIRE US!) And I'm happy to be able to see old friends and housesit for a week at my BFF's place.

But.

In all honesty, THIS is the culture shock we were mentally preparing for, and I've probably said the statements above more to myself over the last week than to anyone else. I've done this Maryland trip so often over the last 15 years that it's almost like I'm just taking two weeks off my corporate cube job to help my parents get some boxes together in between rushing around to see old friends, not returning from a two year adventure. I keep feeling the dread that the vacation will be over soon, that "Monday" will be here before I know it.

Patrick and I felt this way when we were leaving Hawaii too, probably because we were both headed to familiar places (me to my parents' home and him to Oregon to take care of some things before joining me in Maryland). Just over two weeks ago we sat on the beach, ate our last papaya, and tried to fight those post-vacation blues. It was weird, it was frustrating, it was annoying - because WE ARE NOT DONE.

So!

Sometime in early May, we're hitting the road again - this time for a national parks road trip across the south/southwest.

And sometime in late June we'll be back in Portland to housesit for two months.

And then...? No idea.

We feel very lucky because our version of "hitting pause" was pretty much under our control. We'll get going again and we'll figure out our next step along the way... or we'll just keep going. Either way, the adventure continues. Because what was true in Sasquatch Provincial Park, Kent, British Columbia, Canada almost two years ago is still true today:

May 2013 -> infinity

Friday five: "A year of travel is so much better than STUFF."

We've had the opportunity to share our "purging" story with quite a few folks so far.  Some we've met recently; many came through our apartment during our weekend pre-sale almost a month ago, our subsequent public sale the following weekend, or our final "prices slashed, please please please - just take it away!" two chaotic weeks before leaving.  Everyone who's asked has been intrigued and supportive of our plan; one of the best responses to our story is the subject of this post.

The purging itself isn't really much of a story though.  Small bits and pieces involving emotional attachment were stored with family and friends (thank you, you know who you are!); the rest was sold, given away or as a very last resort, trashed.  But five moments definitely stuck out in our minds as we reflected on the insanity of the process.  In no particular order, they include...

• The first hour of our pre-sale when a friend's son bought Patrick's computer table and another friend bought his armoire.  These triggered momentary panic attacks of "um, where do I put my stuff?"... coupled with "um... this just got really real".
• The second hour of our pre-sale when a friend's son fell in love with Clarence Jr. and took him home. 

 Clarence Jr and Penguin - BFF 
(he also took home Crabby, now known as Will.I.Am.)

• The second-to-last day of our purge when a couple excitedly bought our bulletin board with map and pins intact, and promised to chart their own territory.

 $2 for the board and map

make your own dream: priceless

• The last day of our purge when Mike came through on the couch.  Two people had just flaked on the bed - our only other remaining big piece of furniture - at the eleventh hour.  We ended up strapping it to Patrick's Subaru and donating it to Community Warehouse and we were very worried that we'd have to do the same with the couch (it wouldn't have been pretty).  Mike not only came through with the money and the on-time pickup, he also offloaded several condiments and a couple of beers we would've otherwise had to trash.  Thank you, Mike.  Enjoy your worcestershire sauce.
• The last hour of our purge.  A woman had emailed in response to a Craigs List ad looking for anything for her family's new apartment; their family lost their home a while back and they were finally able to move into their own place after struggling for seven months.  She trekked all the way from Beaverton and took the last of our dishes, pots/pans, random cleaning products and anything else we wanted to give her.  Her gratitude was overwhelming. 

And so we were left with an almost-empty apartment, a truckload of personal possessions, and a general plan... in other words, a will and a way.

 

the end before the beginning

How to (not) sell a car on Craig's List.

Step 1:  Learn that your car (pretty desperately) needs a new transmission.  Change the plan of whose car to sell first.  Decide not to replace transmission, keep driving car.

Step 2: Post Craig's List ad including transmission disclaimer.  Research how to sell a car in Oregon and more importantly, how to identify counterfeit money.

Step 3:  Start screening calls.  Determine that the probability that the first nineteen thousand callers are looking for a car for their "16 year old daughter" is pretty slim.  Ignore those callers as well as their repeated texts.

Step 4:  Hold first appointment.  Disregard comments that your car was involved in a rear-end accident before you owned it, because this was not disclosed to you when you bought it and therefore, despite the blatantly clear evidence this person is pointing out (that you never noticed until now - but now you can't stop noticing), it must not be true.  Disregard similar comments during second appointment.  They are both refurbishers (who also do not have "16 year old daughters") - refuse their offers of 60% of what you are asking.

Step 5: Worry obsessively that the dude with the mafia-like accent, who has left you many menacing messages about wanting to buy your car, might actually track you down and show up at your door with a gun.

Step 6:  Decide that you have watched too many episodes of The Wire and let it go.

Step 7:  Freak out about not being able to sell your car in time.  Mourn the fact that a tax donation will not help you now.

Step 8:  Repost and hope for the best.  Eventually show car to nice, quiet, pregnant couple.  Begrudgingly negotiate 75% of original price.  Collect money, sign paperwork over and watch them drive your car away.  Cancel insurance immediately.  Call person who actually DOES have a 16-year old daughter and cancel appointment.

Step 9:  Make up a hundred stories about the pregnant couple and all the illegal things they plan to do with the car.   Check the money a hundred times.  Worry (x100) that the money is counterfeit.

Step 10:  Deposit money which is, in fact, not counterfeit.  Let the DMV worry about it from here...

thanks for nine great years!