Stuff in Life, Stuff of Life

Before travelling I gathered together the very many things for every eventuality knowing that the weather further north would be less warm than here.  However, as it had already been cold and wet on account of the lower than usual jet stream, I felt prepared.  To adapt to the slightly lower temperature I needed a hot water bottle on the first two nights in my beloved home country.  Fortunately, my cousin had a spare HWB as I'd left mine at home in my adopted country. Although it was on the list it did not get packed!  I thrive on lists as my aide-memoire but the list was abandoned several times as I tried to pack and unpack essentials and optionals.

The outcome of yet another unsuccessful attempt at travelling light was that I took too many outdoor clothing options and too many indoor summer clothing options and too much unnecessary, superfluous to requirement THINGS based on the thought that I MIGHT need it!  One needs very little as it happens.

Possibly, the key would be to have one bag and ONE bag only taking time to reduce the pile of options until it goes into the ONE bag!   I tried that. I failed. Time ran out. I bundled what I had or what I thought I needed into the car on the basis that if no more would fit into my small vehicle then that would be the criteria for leaving it behind.

It was imperative to take clothes for a wedding,  plus the champagne flutes I had promised,  plus the fruit salad bowls and bunting.  UK was awash with bunting! Bubbly in bottles and French wines were carried in order to avoid paying UK prices, to be used as a back-up supply should the young couple have under-ordered.  They were awash with alcohol!  Towels were necessary, as required by the cottage rentals, plus extra bed linen in case visitors wanted to stay.  A new small portable barbecue and accoutrements were packed.  I was so glad it was unused as I had not considered the mess of a used one being packed into the car!  Boots as well as sandals for coastal and heathland walks accompanied the wellies should the wedding party field be akin to Glastonbury on a wet, muddy, gloopy day!!!!!   I took clothing to feel glamorous but opportunity for venues I ridiculously dreamed of meant most of my flamboyant dresses and scarves stayed in the suitcase.  Horror descended when I discovered that my silver ear-rings had been left on the options table and so one pair alone was all I could wear! How narcissistic can one be?

Gifts for birthdays and gifts for people were squeezed into spaces as was at least one bag of paperwork tasks that I might do if unoccupied.  That was a pessimistic or optimistic thought because I had no time other than for family and friends. 

I'm trying to highlight the fact that most of us have STUFF IN LIFE, and this is stunningly not simple.  Things in Life tend to become complicated.  I wish to simplify travel packing and unpacking, simplify life, dispose of that which I do NOT need, dispose of the excesses. But then the thought that I would have to go and buy AGAIN if I were to need it arrives and so I think what is the point of getting rid of what I need and have.  Confusion!  I have some lovely things that come into their own on occasions and meet the needs of LIVING a LIFE!  Why is it that some people travel so neatly and with ONE bag?  How did they learn to do that?

Back home, I've been unpacking the packed vehicle of STUFF I took and STUFF I have accumulated, even though I off-loaded STUFF to others.  Wandering around the house to put things into their respective places I THINK  I have too much STUFF and wish to free myself of CLUTTER ... yet it all is very useful, even though there are useful things that I do not have.

I wonder how many people have these thoughts.

I met friends who were decluttering, who were reluctant to let me step foot in their house on account of the great "sort-out" of collected model vehicles!  Every room was piled high with model sports cars, remote controlled vehicles of all sizes, some in their original boxes. They were being sorted into those for charity shops and those to be sold as collectible items.  I asked about why and how they were collected.  I knew he (and she?) had a passion but never did I realise how much they'd stored in the attic space!  It was an interesting to hear their story.