Settled?!

Well this has been along time coming, and I am not even sure how time flew by so quickly, although it wasn't an easy flyby! There were moments of waiting, total uncertainty, white knuckling it, complete disbelief, anxiety, peace, quiet, hard work, a billion boxes, and... we are home, for now.

We've moved into a little community, going from 10 million in Saigon Vietnam, down to six thousand in Ontario Canada has its adjustments, and so far, I am loving them all. Tiny Towns where people say "Hello", "Good morning!", "Have a good one!", are totally my kind of town. I'm a talker, I'm a walker, and I am lollygagger... especially when I've got things to do, like unpack the 400 boxes that showed up from our former 4 bedroom home (with complete office/studio) to our 1 bedroom, plus bonus room, apartment. Yes you heard me right- I know, we are crazy, but oh so happy!

When over 400 items showed up in our apartment on moving day, I just stood there and cried, I kept apologizing to the movers, telling them "... just put it anywhere, I have no idea what it is", and thinking to myself, what on earth have we done?! But slowly and surely, we unpacked every box, ever bin, every trunk, and we donated, gave away, threw out probably 1/3 - 1/2 of what we brought- our CD collection alone, seriously, we all use iTunes now, what am I suppose to do with over 600 cds? Donate the ones that don't bring you joy!

Does it bring you joy?

My sister- in- law, day saver, and friend, told me to ask myself, does it brings you joy?! When you open a box, does the item bring you joy, if not, let it go... (Derived from the KonMari decluttering method- The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo). My sister, added her common sense to the equation with this little ditty, "if you can replace it in 20 minutes, for under $20- let it go", said by some wise sage somewhere along the lines, this let me get rid of 12 years of wrapping paper I apparently thought I couldn't live without. Oi.

I was donating so many things, my hubby would look through the donate boxes and ask me, "are you sure" and I would yell from the other room, "It doesn't bring me JOY!" he had no clue what was happening, but his reaction was awesome. He is a minimalist at heart, I am a lover of all things I love, and I want them near, close enough to touch, and look at, and get inspired by. But alas, after having lived in Vietnam for 2 years with nothing but the stuff we took in our 6 suitcases, and anything we bought (none of which we brought home, save one red clock, and a Sapa quilt)... I no longer want to feel stifled by stuff, I want to be free...

Now our place is looking like our home. I am happy, although, I know the true meaning of home, it isn't things, it isn't stuff, it's who you're with... Duy and I have made a home everywhere we've set our feet, because we're together... and that in itself is the best part... no matter where you roam, always remember the true meaning of home.

That last line, that wise last line, is from my book, Home- if you haven't read it yet, you can get it here!

and remember... Home is wherever we're together,
Share the love,
M.

Here is an oldy but a goody print, that I still have up in my house, just can't get enough!

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