It’s been a minute since my last check-in, and that’s because I’ve had my hands quite full. Some personal news: I moved across the country from San Francisco to Brooklyn. It was bittersweet to say farewell to the Bay Area, but I’m looking forward to New York. And I arrived just in time for my favorite season, fall.
I tried to declutter as much possible for my move. I didn’t take that much of my furniture. I’m not prone to collecting stuff. While I wouldn’t say I’m a true minimalist, I’ve really made an effort these last several years to pare down. Still, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I have. Every drawer that you empty in your home becomes a box on the moving truck (or in my case, the Pods container). It all adds up. There were so many boxes! At a certain point, I ran out of time, too, and just had to throw the rest of everything into boxes.
Now that I’m on the other end, I feel tension between unpacking and purging. I want to put away my things as soon as possible so that I can gain a sense of normalcy. But I also want to continue evaluating the things I own — with an even stricter eye — and get rid of more things, especially with the stress of moving fresh on my mind. I’ve already put some things out on the sidewalk, as is the custom in New York, for strangers and neighbors to take.
But I can’t spend most of my time and effort decluttering. Sometimes it feels like that’s what’s required to truly pare down. I have to laugh to myself when I think of Marie Kondo’s advice to declutter all at once so that you can be freed of the excess stuff and live your best life. In theory this sounds great. But who has time for that? I can see what she means, though. I feel like I’ve been decluttering a little bit at a time for years. It’s never ending. And I’m not even a person who owns that much.
Of course, this is all a very first world problem. So, I’ll shut up now.
Anyhow, this is all to say that you’ll be seeing some more home goods (and perhaps some home organizing) content on this blog as I settle in. And if you have any tips about living in New York or favorite places you love, let me know in the comments.
How long will it take me to learn the subway lines? Wearing: Vetta Shirt // Everlane cardigan, discontinued [review] // Everlane Way-High Jean (gifted) [review] // dr. Liza boots [review] // Everlane bag, discontinued [review]
Congratulations on the big move! I’m excited for your new adventures in NYC and look forward to your future posts about slow fashion. I regret that we didn’t get a chance to meet in person in the Bay Area!
Thanks, Kairee. Exited to explore New York. But there’s things I already miss about the Bay Area, like the produce!
Yes! We are spoiled in that regard for sure!
Welcome! Buy nothing groups are really great too, I’ve learned which seemingly cool kitchen gadgets never make the cut when people are moving. It also satisfies my itch when I’m bored and just want to have something new to try out (working on it but in the meantime, this works!)
Yes! I am a fan of Buy Nothing groups. I got into them during the pandemic. Passed along many items in San Francisco before I moved, and I recently joined the one in my new neighborhood. They’re perfect for trying out things.
Welcome to NYC! It is true that NYers are kind but not necessarily nice. You will fare better with the subway if you learn which cars are closest to the exits on trains you frequently take.
Thank you! Excited to be here.