Plan B.1

The plan had been to limit our worldly goods to what we could fit in our car as we headed east (with the exception of a few boxes of "can't bear to part with" items)... this has evolved. Dave's Super Speakers are proving to be difficult to re-home. They are very big, very heavy, have incredible sound, and are very expensive. Looks like we will be keeping them. Dave is not heartbroken. They won't fit on a boat, so will need to wait until we have our next forever home. Looks like when the time comes, we will be searching for a house with a big room and decent acoustics.

Since we need to store the speakers in a climate controlled environment, we rented a storage unit. Since it is only $20 more a month to get a slightly larger unit, we are also storing The Magnificent Bed. Since we have room, and we love our dresser and night stands, we might as well store them as well. Now that we are not going to a boat right away, but we have things we know we will want on the eventual boat, we may as well store them too.

Since we are paying for a storage unit, we may as well get our money's worth and fill it up! So, there are a few more things to include: a platter, some artwork, my big easel, a few kitchen nonessentials but would like to use again someday, a few books...

I have mixed feelings on this latest development. I was really liking the "everything is going" concept. Now it is "almost everything is going." I'm trying to use some very consistent rules to make determinations about keepers:

1. They must have significant sentimental or practical value.

2. If of practical value, they would have to be replaced right away when we are living on a boat or are in our next forever home. The exception to this rule are speciality cooking tools that I really like, would want to use again, and would be kind of a pain to replace (for example: pizza stone, pasta press, very big pot that is perfect for cooking crab).

3. If of sentimental value, the first choice is for the item to be given to someone with similar sentimental attachment rather than to store it.

4. Other than the Super Speakers which have been granted exceptions to all rules, stored items must be reasonable in size and weight to transport or ship to wherever they will be next enjoyed.

The reality of leaving our family, friends and beautiful home is setting in. I am going to miss my people. We are going to miss the grandpa grapes harvest. Our house has very good vibes and it is wonderful to live in a home with good vibes. I'm thinking that it is the ultimate expression of privilege to radically alter one's life by choice rather than necessity.

Plan B.1 is a less bold step into a free, radical, hippie life and it feels a bit like a compromise of the principle of the whole venture. Practicality was NOT one of the founding tenets of Plan A. We will need to make up for having a storage unit anchor...we will have to embrace impracticality with great enthusiasm as opportunities arise.