I am a restless soul…and therefore, I move a lot. I don’t always move far; I just like a change of scenery once in awhile. The problem with moving, though, is packing. It is just awful!

I’d love to be one of those people who can fit everything they own in their car (though I have to wonder where those people sleep…or even sit) but I’m just not. During the course of packing I’ve come up with three boxes, and a bag of stuff to donate. Once I’m on the other end of the move, I’ll probably get so frustrated by the stuff, I’ll find another box or two of crap to get rid of.

I’ve been purging throughout the year. A couple times this winter I organized my closets and got rid of sweaters I haven’t worn in two years; countless pairs of black pants I don’t wear because I live with two cats and have given up on the entire color; shoes I don’t think I’ve put on since college. Where, oh, where did I get all this stuff?

I’d be retired by now if I hadn’t spent all this money on shoes, shirts, pants, and countless other things I don’t need. Of course, I am typing this on the laptop I bought last week. I can justify this purchase though: I am a writer. I’ve had this thing for a little over a week, and I’ve brought it to a conference, written an article on the fly, and written/edited several chapters of my great American novel. Come tax time, I’ll have more than enough reason to write off this little beauty. And, once I get my pictures and music off of it, I’ll be giving my desktop to my aunt — one less thing to move the next time I get antsy.

I’m really going to continue to try and simplify, though. Once the weather gets warm and I get a feel for what it is I actually wear, I’ll be going through my summer clothes with a fine-toothed comb. So far, because of the miscellaneous nature of the stuff I’ve been getting rid of, I’ve just been dropping it off at the Goodwill. But I found a suit I’ve only ever worn on one interview, and I was thinking it would be perfect for an organization like Dress for Success.

So, if you’re doing some spring cleaning, don’t just throw stuff in the trash and send it on the way to the landfill. Your trash may jsut actually be someone else’s treasure.