Letting go

So, the theme of the last month has been getting rid of stuff: trying to align my current possessions and situation with who I am now and who I intend to become, rather than who I have been.

• I have gotten rid of my old stamp collection – bartered it to a friend making and selling stamp-themed art. See her stuff at shiningdesigns.etsy.com.
• I have gone through the linen closet and our clothes to winnow what we don’t use to pass along to the Homeless Shelter (towels) and other charities (clothing).
• I emptied out the storage room of my father and stepmother’s Florida condo. I gave away many books, keeping only The New Complete Bulldog for Andy and my grandfather’s 1925, 1926, and 1927 Michiganensian yearbooks. I even gave the yearbooks to my aunt.
• I’m tossing and replacing the 40-year-old couch cushions from the cabin (sshhhh, don’t tell my aunt til I’m done).
• I’m also tossing items that have outlived their lifespan: stretched out and beat up formerly favorite shoes, the portfolio that I got from the Society for Technical Communication conference in 2001, and items that never fit, no longer work, or are no longer suitable.

I’m warming up to get rid of my car. We’re going to take the ancient Jeep up to Tobermory Airport and leave it in the field next to the runway for when we fly up north. My goal is not to replace it. I walk to work, and I can use my husband’s car for errands on the weekends. I’m considering using ZipCar to fill in the gaps.

My main lifestyle hindrance/regret will be I will no longer be able to go to my favorite yoga studio, A2Yoga, at the drop of a hat. I have been attending some 5:30 classes on some Mondays and Wednesdays, which means that I have to rush home, change, grab my car from the street, and get there. There are at least five yoga studios within walking distance of my home and work. I suppose I could go to one that doesn’t require a car. Or, I could start using my Go! Pass to get to A2Yoga on weeknights. Maybe going carless won’t be so bad.