It’s not a little known fact that some people can “let go” of things easier than others. Which do you think you are ?

We’re not going to make light of this. Because while it’s amazingly freeing, it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Although I’ve been living small full time for a number of years, I guess I’ve sort of been “downsizing” in various ways, at various times, for most of the past 7 years. But I think I’m down to the smallest yet as Lisa and I depart. Most people would think that what I had stored away in the attic and indoor storage at my close friends’ home was a very small amount to own by most standards.  But it’s always bothered me that I can’t just let go of ALL of it and truly be a minimalist.  So there, I’ve said it.  I’m not a minimalist. I still carry “extras” on board.  I hear about other “tiny livers” having 2 pairs of shoes.  Heck, I say if there’s space for it, bring it! Now that doesn’t mean that the Chinook has very much space. But I am saying that I still carry more than I need!

I’ve watched Lisa downsize in the past 20 months from much more stuff than I began my tiny living journey with. And, frankly, she’s been a pretty inspiring one to watch!  Her process began with her move to Knoxville, then from her 1500 sq. ft. home to her 650 Sq. ft. downtown loft.  A small storage unit had to come into play at some point, because a whole lot of “shit shifting” – as we lovingly grew to call it – began to take place!  I still needed a little storage real estate myself, so thankfully we found one that offered us a small footprint with a super high ceiling, so we put our organizational skills to good use.   The unit has sort of been in a perpetual state of change over the past year or so, but I think we’re about settled into what will be staying there. At least for now.  I’ve learned over the past years that “out of sight, out of mind” is a good motivator for getting rid of more and more stuff.  When you realize that when you never see most things, you never even consider that you own them. So when you see them again, it’s a tad easier to let ’em go !

So, just to give you a little visual of our transition in the end … here are a few photos showing or final push to downsize.  You may notice that one of us like being a tad bit more organized than the other !  So Lisa is now a real lover of these e-bags that she found online !  I prefer a more “open selection” method in my tiny cabinets in the chinook!  However, being organized when living tiny IS even more important than living in more conventional sized spaces.  It’s all relative.  Clutter can happen with much fewer items when your total space is 8’x 17′ !  So we try our best to stay as clutter free as possible!

Enough for now.  I have more to say about this, but we’ll continue this on another day !

Karole Sessums