a little closer to rv

[CricketSail]

I had dreams last winter that I would be in my rv by now. But life changed my plans, I spent months hardly able to walk, and 6/14 I had back surgery. At first they thought just spacers, but we finally decided on a full bilateral spinal fusion. The surgeon thought it would be best to make sure the spine was stable for the long run, and I agreed. The good news and the bad news; I will surely get to the rv, but not until months of recovery for the bone to regrow.
So I'm spending my times researching, researching rvs, making rv friends, and being ruthless about cleaning out. My plan is to put my house on the market next March, and hopefully, hopefully, I will be down to a suitcase and my dogs by then.
If anyone has comments on cleaning out to move to the rv lifestyle, I'd love to hear. I have loved all my stuff, but I just have to let this go. What, if anything, is it essential to keep? I really don't want to put everything in storage - I'll never go back for it, but would be paying - not.

[Redetotry]

So sorry to hear of the delay in your plans, I hope you are all healed up and back on track soon. Many of the women on here have talked about their experience of downsizing and a few are going through it right now. You can do a search on downsizing and find lots of posts. I think you just have to decide to do it and be ruthless. When I tried to decide on what to part with from just one drawer of my stuff I realized it was not an easy task. Also on doing the storage building I think the majority of women who go that route soon decide it was a waste of money. But sometimes doing what feels best at the moment is worth the cost to ease the stress of the decision making. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

[grammynmaggie]

So glad to hear things are looking up for you…if you are able you really should start now to down size…I have been working on it for a few years now..and it is not an easy task…the first of the stuff was not to hard to get rid of…took me 3 years of taking stuff to flea markets and doing yard sales…but I did have more than the average house hold of stuff…I had an vintage / antique store that I closed up and lot of junk like that…well I finally got my RV last fall…I have moved to Florida…with my elderly father and right now in PA trying to finish off my down sizing…I am now down to the nitty-gritty…things I thought I wanted to keep…things to store till later…well ..now its hard…just today my married grandson said he would take my grandmothers solid maple dinning set from the 1950’s so that’s a relief…it is things like that …I don’t know what to do with…most of it is really great pieces and some younger family don’t want it…but I am determined to get rid of my “stuff” the last two days I have been going room by room and tagging stuff for a moving sale hope to have in Aug…got one room done..lol…My 100 year old house will go on the market as soon as I get it empty…good luck with everything and keep us posted…donna

edit to say I did a blog post on my down sizing this week....

[BirdbyBird]

Part of the reason I wanted my kids to come to Annapolis and meet my cousins. I figured that they would hear stories about great grandparents, and grandparents and aunts and uncles and their own mother that they would never have sat through with just me talking

I also think about all those personal memories that each of us hold. My Mother-in-law (at 90) made a statement when the last of her cousins passed. She said that she felt like she was losing so much more as the cousin. The cousin had been raised in their house and was the last person other than herself that had memories of her mother.

[JudyJB]

A few years ago, I realized that I had not asked my parents and grandparents the right questions as I was growing up. By the time I wanted to ask, it was too late.

SO, I have started writing about my memories as I was growing up. I have written as much as I could remember about my grandparents and the things my mother and dad told me about their parents and grandparents. I also added photos of those people, and wrote about my cousins and the fun we had also. I keep adding to this as I think of things. I have a couple of boxes of photos but those are of people my kids never knew, so this document is meant to explain some of the old pictures.

I have given draft copies to my kids and my niece and nephew, who will never hear those stories from their father. My hope is that if I am gone or forgetting things by the time they ask, they will have this document with some of the potential answers. I am hoping my kids and grandchildren appreciate these efforts someday.

Anyway, if you have time as you are recovering, you might want to write a similar document for your kids.

[CricketSail]

Thanks for all your great replies. I've had things stuffed all over for years (I'm a very organized hoarder). It's so helpful to hear from others about finding a freer life when you get ride of stuff, but manage to keep the memories at the same time. I had an extreme cleaner for the basement and he Made me go through everything, and we found a whole box of family pictures, they rest could go.
I also have a good friend with me now who's helping me while I get back on my feet after the surgery. We have set a dead line of end of August for the first major yard sale. I put one stack of books in piles - and left them there. She made me get at it, no more delay. I'm amazed about how much I did get rid of because she convinced me I should get small storage, just so I could get going (I had originally said no storage, and made no progress). We went through the cookbooks together, and we both had a couple of favorites will keep in storage so when I take the rv to visit her in CA I can cook for her! We are making fun with it, keeping focused on the future, and keeping in mind what we would really want to be doing with any stuff we keep.

[carolb]

I don't remember now who said it, but down-sizing does take time--so it's something to do while you're recovering from your back surgery! Wishing you success in both!

[AZGramTN]

Sounds like you an I are in the same boat, I had hip replacement in May of last year and they broke my femur only no one knew but me. I kept saying it hurts and everyone said listen to your body finally 2 weeks later they discovered my femur crushed and so I spent 3 months in rehab. In the past 3 years I've had back surgery with a tower put in both hips replaced and then the femur. I was determined to follow my dream and RV so I may be gimpy but I'll do it and as for downsizing well I planned to put my house up in August but my grandson moved in to help me and also to finish his college so I'll hold onto the house and each time I come home from RVing I'll clean another room and put it for sale next August but by gosh nothing gonna stop me now not since I bought Georgia. After the County finishes the driveway and I get the electrician in I'll be set for guests and lots of fun. Hold onto that dream and never let it go I didn't and now God's answered my prayers.