Counting college and such, I am at 17. I am packing right now for 18, knowing that it won't be my last stop. Most have been cross country (US) though when I was a kid we lived in Europe and this coming move is down the street. I am 39.

I grew up a military brat. I moved for love once, but mostly for my career.

As an adult, I have never lived in a house aside from my mom's. I have lived with partners or alone, but mostly alone.

I wanted this to be my forever home, so I settled and decorated as if this is home rather than this is temporary. Now I have a lot more crap to get rid of before move day.

In my last move, I came from Michigan to Oklahoma, a big climate shift. So, I got rid of a lot of my winter wardrobe. I guess, what I am saying is, if something doesn't serve you in the life you want to live today, it is cool to let it go. Even if it worked in the past.

Also, don't use a moving broker. I didn't know I wasn't hiring a legit moving company until the last minute. Don't do that. It was my most awful experience. The original plan was that I would get my stuff in 2 weeks. They kept it for like 3 months. Once they had my stuff they yelled at me, lied to me, and tried to blame me for their illegal action. It was awful. My game plan from here out is just to box up my life, then hire people on each side to load the uhaul. No more wondering if I will ever see my stuff again.

As for my simple living, moving gives me a perfect opportunity to prune the vine of life, to decide which friends are worth staying in touch with, to get rid of stuff I don't need, to pare down. This time, I am moving to a smaller apartment, so I am getting rid of some of the furniture as well.