I sold almost everything I owned before moving abroad. Now, I'm returning home with even less stuff than I packed.

Just concerning a twelvemonth ago, I remaining my Ottawa apartment, sold most of my belongings, packed up the rest, and moved to Japan alongside a suitcase and carry-on.

Since then, I've brought those identical bags to short-term Airbnb rentals throughout Tokyo, Osaka, Kumamoto, and Saitama. After nearly a year, I've stopped missing most of the things I remaining rearward and started loving the elasticity that comes alongside having so much less.

In fact, these days, I'm questioning why I always needed so much in the archetypal place.

I wasn't exactly a minimalist rear in Canada

I've continually been a bit of a "stuff" person. I had an overflowing closet, shelves complete of books, and shoes for basically all occasion, including several I wore lone formerly or twice a year.

My flat was complete of stuff, too: records, plants, kitchenware, and everything in between. My hubby loves collectibles, and I continually enjoyed picking up small things to create our area awareness additional akin us.

However, whenever we planned our yearlong move to Japan, we knew we would have to downsize. We wouldn't have an flat to arrive rear to, so we got rid of nearly everything. Facebook Marketplace was my finest companion for a few months as I sold our furniture, electronics, and beyond.

I sold and donated a ton of my garments to create a capsule wardrobe, which I'd afterward pare downward equal additional to fair four shirts, two skirts, a brace of pants, shorts, a dress, one brace of shoes, and a rain coat — all organized into packing cubes.

Then, we packed a few sentimental things we wanted to keep into boxes and remaining them alongside family in Canada.

I don't young female the material I gave distant — and, in fact, I think I could've packed equal less

Turns out, I was so enthusiastic to be in Japan that I didn't young female item I remaining rearward — equal following I ran out of my customary hair products and had to discover alternatives for my curls. It was additionally a alleviation to have small to transport around. I fair felt lighter.

As my months in Japan went on, I realized I could have packed equal less. Did I really need a surplus of my favorite shampoo, and lots of stationery?

Moving between cities alongside everything I owned in two bags made me hyper-aware of all item I had. Lugging dense suitcases up flights of stairs whenever our Airbnb didn't have an elevator wasn't exactly fun, and I certainly didn't desire to be carrying item I didn't entirely need.

Over the way of a year, I shipped three (going on four) boxes of my things rear to Canada, merely since I didn't need most of what was in them. After living alongside so little, I've learned fair how few belongings I need to awareness comfortable day to day.

I've learned that residence isn't really concerning the stuff

Of course, that's not to say that there's nothing I young female concerning my additional maximalist life in Canada.

As person who loves to cook, I do young female having a galley stocked alongside tools and appliances. And at times, I additionally young female the emotion of coming residence to a location filled alongside the things I'd normally choose for my own living space.

I've motionless established ways to awareness settled into my Airbnbs, though. Over the former year, residence has rotate into small concerning having the ideal surroundings and additional concerning the existence my hubby and I are construction together, and the adventures we're having alongside the way.

I anticipation to transport that emotion into any comes next. Soon, we'll be rear in Canada, and I'll arrive visage to visage alongside the 20 boxes I remaining there. At this point, though, I barely recall what's in them. I certainly don't desire most of it back.

We're now talking concerning another big adventure: trying van life, visiting additional countries, or moving to a new city in Canada.

No matter what comes next, I'm preparedness a major purge of everything we packed distant formerly we're rear home. Turns out, I can live fairly comfortably without a lot of the knickknacks and another belongings I formerly idea I needed.

After this year, I cognize I'll be a lot additional selective concerning what I keep. And perchance downward the highway I'll desire to inhabit my residence alongside things I affection again, but for now, I'm beautiful blessed living alongside less.