Cleaning Up and Moving Out

This isn't my most comprehensive or coherent post to date, but I'm still recovering from work.

It's amazing how much stuff that I just can't bring myself to throw away. This morning I decided to get a jump on the clearing out process, and it took a bit longer than expected. It was a bit of fun going through my old closet and seeing all the things that I've kept since middle school. I threw away my boy scout patch collection, some board games I never played, and quite a bit of other things. Yet with all the progress, there are just a few things I haven't been able to let go of just yet. I know I won't miss them if I don't have them. In fact, most of it I haven't seen in seven or more years. I'm hoping that come tomorrow I will realize that it's pointless to keep holding on to that sort of stuff.

I find it funny that when you don't have some things you don't miss them, yet as soon as you realize you have them again you can't get rid of it. This may prove to be one of the hardest parts on my journey to get aboard. When I was still living in Florida I didn't have nearly as much stuff as I do here in South Carolina. This is truthfully a lifetime of possessions. Granted I'm not all that old, in fact I'd be quite upset if anyone called me old, but still, it's the stuff that survived the years. Maybe I just need to jump off the deep end. To paraphrases another sailor "If you can't remember the last time you used it, throw it away. If you haven't used it in three months, throw it away. If you think you might use it, throw it away." The lesson is just to get rid of anything not essential to my well being. I mean honestly I spend most of the year on a work boat, living out of a duffel bag. I can give this stuff up. Grab the few books that I want and toss the rest.

But here I sit, listening to island music, dreaming of fair tides and pretty sunsets, avoiding the work that needs to be done. I hope this lackadaisical attitude doesn't carry on for long, perhaps it's just from the much needed rest after four weeks of hard work. Now... should I bring the guitar or not? I was never very good at playing one, but perhaps I'd have the time one day? Besides isn't that a good hobby for a liveaboard to pick up?