The Purge

Last month, I participated in a challenge with a group of strangers on fb and it changed the way I looked at ‘stuff’.  The group had talked about this type of challenge before, but I never actually saw anyone take the lead and begin. I was a quiet observer for most of their posts until I saw that December was the month they'd begin this game. And although I’m somewhat frugal, or so I thought, I wanted to try this type of activity but wasn’t ever quite ready. On December 1^st I threw my hands in the air and thought why not now? Is there ever a good time to do anything? In the words of Yoda, ‘Do. There is no try.’ (Or something like that)

The challenge was called, The 31 Day Purge, and here’s the basic idea. On December 1, you rid your home of one item. On day 2, you let go of 2 items. On day 3, you get rid of 3 items and so forth through the end of the month.

If any of you have ever thought about a minimalist lifestyle but thought it was too drastic, this is the perfect challenge. It allows you to clean and organize on a completely different level. If you are like me, you will sometimes find items lying around that you just don’t know what to do with. They usually end up in a junk drawer or in an ‘I’ll get to that later’ pile. This challenge is meant to force you to look at things and ask yourself, ‘does this add value to my life, do I use it regularly, and do I really need it’. If the answer is ‘I don’t know, or no’ then it’s time to let it go.

Now, before you make any sort of judgment, try to see the positive side of this challenge. We really don’t NEED a lot of the things we have around our house.

Here is the shortened version of my story and what I learned…

Day 1. This bag took up space (never used) for far too long. It was time to go…

Day 2. Although day 2 was a lot of stuff, I grouped it into categories instead of individual items. You don’t have to do it this way, but to me, it only seemed fair. Old sheets and 2 basketballs the boy didn’t use anymore. I donated the sheets and sold that b-balls.

Day 3. A couple Christmas items, a helmet, and phone chargers to phones I don’t own any longer.

This is easy :D

Day 4. A few more items

Day 5. I went through all of the craft boxes to get rid of markers and pens that didn’t work and brand new pencils that I’ll never use. I had tons! I trashed some and boxed up the good stuff for a garage sale this summer.

Day 6. Odds and ends

Day 7. I decided I didn’t want a ‘theme’ in my kitchen so I boxed up stuff I really didn’t need.

Day 8. Crappy towels that didn’t soak up water among a few other things.

Day 9. Décor I’ll never use again.

Day 10. Shoes. This was a tough one. Sometimes I keep stuff just because I think I’ll use it or wear it later. Turns out, with as many shoes as I have, the ones I don’t usually wear end up in the back where I can’t see them so they don’t get worn after all. I decided that they didn’t serve me in a positive way so I let a few go.

I’ll not explain every picture, but the premise is the same… If it doesn't make me happy, if I don’t need it, and it doesn’t bring value to my life, I let it go.

By day 15 I really started digging. It began to get a little difficult, but I knew I had lots of places to organize so I wasn't too worried... 

By day 18 I was already on a cruise ship to the Bahamas so I planned ahead, luckily. I worked my tail off before my vacation so that when I returned home or at least to the land of Wi-Fi I could post my pictures to the group, albeit late. I’m so happy I did that because seriously, by the time you get to day 20, it begins to get difficult. Don't let a little hard work decluttering deter you from participating in this challenge.

Here is what I posted when I returned...

You can't see all the pictures because I screenshot from the page. Believe me, days 18 through 22 are all there and I even sent the group a pic of me on the beach. Haha They loved it! And 'Yay' for working ahead. I didn't feel like I was behind too much after a relaxing vaca :)

Here is day 23 and 24. Day 24 had a lot of stuff so I had to take 2 pictures.

Days 25 and 26...

Let me be honest here. By day 27, I was struggling. I had to dig deeper to find stuff and then ask myself the aforementioned questions to keep myself accountable. I'd hold something in my hand that I actually wanted to keep and thought, 'does it add value or am I just keeping it for no particular reason'? Ultimately, I kept some things and let a lot more stuff go. 

Then I really thought about the end of this challenge. I was so happy it was almost over, then the doom hit me... Not only did I have 4 days left to complete the challenge, I had to come up with 118 more items to finish it (Days 28-31).

UGHHHHHH!!! I had been through drawers, under beds, closets, boxes, bathrooms, garage, laundry room, kitchen, Christmas stuff, entertainment center, etc. It seemed I went through everything. So....I started over. I went back through drawers, under all the beds, filing cabinets, closets, boxes, bathrooms, garage, etc... I was at a point where I needed to be honest with myself. "Do I really need this or can I let it go." 

Let me tell ya. It was rough!!

Days 28, 29, and 30...

Then day 31 came... It was the most real I had been with my 'stuff' in quite some time. Once I realized there were 31 items, I jumped for joy. Literally. No, you don't understand. I was incredibly happy!

My home is 496 items lighter. Space in my house is more manageable. I still need to do a lot to my house, but with 496 items gone, it’ll be easier to remodel and organize. I have a long way to go, but this was the first step toward motivation. I’ll do the challenge again toward the end of the year once the remodels are complete, but I’m fairly happy with the elimination efforts at this point.

I encourage everyone to do this! It was a long road of evaluation and thought, but it was so worth it. My house is less cluttered and in the back of my mind, I know the nooks and crannies aren’t inflicted with stuff I really don’t need. I know there will be more to sift through as time goes on.

I realized lately that I’m more conscience when I buy things at the store. This challenge brought awareness regarding purchases controlling my needs and my wants. 

It also helped to do this game with others. Each day I’d see all the items others were clearing out and also saw their struggle. Minimalism isn’t getting rid of everything you own and doing without, it’s simply learning to live with less. I’m so glad I did it.

Please, please take the time to do this challenge. I promise you, you will thank yourself in 31 days!

Resolutions

We give thanks during Thanksgiving. We celebrate the birth of our Lord on Christmas. It seems only natural that our next holiday should generate reflection: New Year’s Eve. The word ‘Eve’ immediately promotes an escalation of excitement and a gentle stir in my core. It tells me that something better is coming and I should prepare. ‘Eve’ reminds me of dawn. A deliberate, peaceful rising which temps fear, banishes discouragement, deflects negative energy, and conquers darkness. An ‘Eve’ makes my soul smile, much like the dawn. Instinctively, New Year’s Eve opens my spirit and I feel a palpable release of forgiveness as I simultaneously receive peace. 

Unlike the majority, I rarely make resolutions at the end or beginning of a year. The universal thought process behind resolutions is a bit dated with conscious expectations of eventual failure. I’ve learned to avoid making promises I can’t keep. I resolve to establish change on readiness, circumstances, determination, and God. I’ve learned to trust myself, or still learning day by day. I’ve learned that I’m the only one I can trust at this point in my life. I’ve learned that change is something I do alone. No one can do it for me. I cannot be pushed, coached, or managed. I’m relearning how to be honest with myself. Change isn’t permanent, it is fluid. But, it should move forward to make us better people. If we aren’t advancing, there are only two other directions: Complacency and Digression. I fear both.

I make a conscious effort and an honest attempt to improve myself. I despise inconsistency, deception, and a lack of integrity in others chiefly because I know my heart is clear of those traits. I don’t hide dishonesty well.  If someone sees inconsistency, deception, and a lack of integrity in my actions, it isn’t because I have those in my character. I simply shield my thoughts and emotions due to a waning of trust in them. My defensive walls block their duplicity which they translate as a lack of clarity. I may or may not speak of their words or actions and there is no obligation for it to be revealed. I simply chose to let others see me as they wish.

My decisions to change, meaning to evolve, should be resolute. There’s no alteration because the date changes. Most of my transformation happens midday, on a Tuesday, when the sky is gray, watching passersby, listening to my favorite songs, turning left at a yellow light, dreaming of bucket list items, praying for peace, laughing with my children, witnessing generosity, socializing in a crowd, or sitting quietly in a candlelit room. There’s no dramatic epiphany when change sweeps inside my soul. I can’t pinpoint a date. It just becomes me. And I am changed. It won’t happen on January 1^st. It’ll happen when I push the lighted button to advance to the next floor. The door will open and I’ll exit. I won’t stay there though. It won’t be long before I advance up the stairs. Many will appreciate me and I’ll say goodbye to others. Besides, I’ll make my way to the next Eve as a changed person, with a new reflection and palpable experience.

~ I wrote this last year on New Year’s Day/Eve, but I honestly don’t remember which one. I’ve been awful at keeping my blog updated. I never even finished details about my solo trip to Colorado in September of 2016. I still write, but been lax on posting. A lot has gone on, and a lot has changed. I’m making a promise to myself to do better. Regardless of the number of folks who read my blog, I really do it for me. I’m happy when I feel vulnerable enough to let others in and see my thoughts and to know who I truly am. If we are anything, we are all sentient beings who are in this thing called life together. I blog for healing and clearing away the webs in my mind, but I also do it just in case someone can relate to me and feel they aren’t alone.

My 2017 was an awakening and I think I’ll talk about that…

Solo Trip - 6 Tuesday

I won’t bore everyone with details about my first day in Colorado. Other than sites preplanned on my agenda and a few extras, it went pretty smoothly.

Side note...The fog in the mornings (if it rained) enhanced some views. And I loved the colors...

I woke up about 4:30 am each day because my body thought it was 6:30 am. That did come with perks. I beat all the traffic as there were few people on the roads. And with my hotel's location, I had to do extra driving that wasn’t factored into my agenda before I left home.

I had an appointment on Tuesday with the operations manager at the Alpine Recycling facility in Denver. I planned it about a month in advance. I’ll save y’all from scrolling through photos of trash and the like. I understand not everyone is as excited about conservation as I am…LOL. But here is Brent and me!

  He let me keep the vest!! Woohoo!!

After that, I made my way to Denver. The only planned site I wanted to see was the Molly Brown house (Kathy Bates' charactor portraid her in 'Titanic'). Turns out, the writers and directors took liberties with Molly. She was actually nothing like she was portrayed in that movie. I’ll spare you the details. Try google.

          

If you look closely in the stained glass photo, you can see the tour guide's hand motioning me to follow her, "We mus'n't dilly dally. Please stay with the group", she'd said. LOL

                    

  

This chair was actually used by the Secretary of War (Edwin Stanton) during Abraham Lincoln's presidency. Pretty cool stuff.

Then I figured I'd check out Denver...

Go Broncos!!!

   

Next, I decided I'd head to Boulder. That's home to NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Again, more "green" stuff. Google can explain it better than I ever could. :)

Here are a few views from outside this facility...

   

ME!!!

  

  

After I left there, I found this...Tuesday turned out to be like work...LOL

After that, I drove to Red Rock. It's a bunch of rocks thrown together, just so, that made it the perfect and natural accoustic ampitheater. It was very cool to visit the surrounding area but they wouldn't let me in the theater itself. Some band from the '90's (The GooGoo Dolls) were playing that evening...Hahaha

That was a long day. I headed back to my hotel after that...

Tuesday was pretty uneventful. Other than viewing all the beauty God painted and gave to us...

Wednesday, though. Wednesday was something else entirely...hahaha

To be continued... :)

Solo Trip - 5 Airplane Exit

When I got off the plane, everything happened so fast. I walked out of the tunnel and looked around at the unfamiliar surrounds. Faces I didn’t know. The faces were hoping to see their children, grandchildren, husbands, or wives. I didn’t recognize a soul. I was alone in Denver, Colorado and didn’t know anyone for hundreds and hundreds of miles. UNREAL.

The space was vast and chaotic. People standing around, and others were moving in all directions trying to get to their gate. It was so surreal that I can really only remember the experience in black and white. I felt as though a movie was on TV and I was a viewer. I had to remind myself to pick up my feet and move. This is real life. Instead of appearing confused, I followed the crowd with my camera bag, backpack, and cross body purse.

We all looked like we knew where we were going. Maybe some did. I, however, approached a new section of the airport which was just as chaotic. Escalators went up on my left. On my right, there were escalators that went down. If I went forward, it looked like a never ending corridor to nowhere, or everywhere, depending on how you want to see it. 

I walked over to the middle of this giant room with a chasm in the middle and there was a map, similar to those you’d find in a mall. It might as well been written in Japanese, because the 3 of us who were standing there made different confused gestures. Mine was resolve.

My next move, and my bags were getting heavy, took me closer to the down escalators. I really only walked over there to look at everyone’s face. ‘Do they know where they’re going?’ was my thought. I searched faces for some sign of knowledge.

This is where I get goosebumps when I think back on it…

Seemingly out of nowhere, a lady in the crowd had a friendly face. She smiled at me.

“Do we go down to get our luggage? I’m not sure how to find baggage claim.” That’s what I asked her, conjuring my best attempt at composure.

She stopped and explained some sort of gibberish about, ‘go here, go there, tuck, roll, do a cartwheel, and it’ll be on your left’. I know she saw the slump in my shoulders because she smiled again and said, “I’ll help you. Follow me.”

We proceeded down the escalator, to the next floor. Now we were in some sort of alternate reality which only compounded my confusion. Luckily, all I had to do was follow.

At this juncture, we had to get on a tram that would take us to a completely different location. We boarded. There were no seats. We had to hang on to a pole for dear life that a thousand people also touched that day. It zoomed us to a place that magically picked up more people. This was called “2”. Apparently, I was “3”. Now we had one more stop entitled “1” before we made it to yet another building that held all the world’s luggage. (I wondered if this place also stored everyone’s missing socks from the dryer, it was certainly big enough)

This lady and I chatted the entire time. We had a lot in common. Once we arrived in Neverland, she explained where each concourse led to and from. She explained how to read the signs that corresponded with the flight and airline. Turns out, we were on the same plane (Seriously, with all those people in that airport. She was on my flight).

We found the baggage claim area and located ‘Southwest, Indianapolis’. As we waited for our bags, we chatted. She was in Indiana at a friend’s wedding and just returned. I told her my story. We couldn’t believe 1. that we both just came from Indy and were on the same flight and 2. that she was the person I approached. Again, UNREAL.

She found her bag first and patiently waited for me. I spotted mine as it came closer. I lifted it to check 1 of 2 tags. ‘Keaton Jones’. Yep, that’s my bag. Evidently I forgot to take that out and replace it with my info. Honestly, I didn’t even see the second identity tag. Oh, well.

As we walked, the lady received a call from her daughter. Overhearing the conversation, it was apparent that the daughter was running late. The lady asked if she could help with anything else. I told her that I needed to locate the rental car desk because of my reservation. 

We walked to the desk and realized it closed at 5 (Seriously?). Anyway, we found the help desk and I was told I needed to go to the actual car rental company (Again, seriously?).

I almost laughed out loud at all my good luck. My new friend and I walked in the general direction where the lady pointed. 14 miles later, I made it to doors that looked like they led outside (Civilization!).

At another desk, I asked a woman where I’d find the tram to pick up my rental. Depending on the company I rented from was dependent on what lane I had to cut across country to find.

“Go out those doors to lane 4. A tram will be there shortly.” Easy enough (Eye roll)

My friend and I chatted a bit longer. We knew this was the end of our encounter and the fret on my face must have been obvious. She said, “My name is Jill and I’m going to give you my phone number. If you need ANYTHING while you’re in Denver, call or text me.”

I gave her my number and she text me right away. We were fast friends. I told her I’d not bother her if at all possible and she told me not to worry. I could call for anything.

She turned right, and I turned left…

God sent me an angel. Nothing more, nothing less. I would have been in that place for hours if it wasn’t for her, and I’d be frustrated beyond what I already was. Thank you, God. You knew what I needed, when I needed it, and you delivered! I owe it to all of you, who prayed for me and my safety and wellbeing. It worked! God showed up in Jill. I’ll never forget how kind and patient she was with me.

Deep breath…

I half walked, half ran across 4 lanes of traffic (with a suitcase, backpack, purse, and camera bag) to catch the tram that just arrived (I wasn’t going to stand there and wait for the next one, if there was a next one). Of course it was full. I had to stand, again, while this crazy tram driver, speed racer, made it out of the airport to the rental car company in record time. I think he beat his PR.

Now, I had to drag all my crap into this place to get my car. I got out last, because everyone thinks that the person closest to the door should be last off. Ugh, whatever.

Inside, I had to talk the man behind the counter out of charging me for 10 things I didn’t need, he informed me that the airport charges fees that weren’t included in the price I prepaid (figures…JUST GIVE ME THE KEYS).

I find my car, finally. I load it up and began to GPS my hotel. When I booked it, the internet told me it was 6 miles from the airport. Hahahahaha. “The internet”…

“Here are your directions to The Vintage Resort and Conference Hotel in Winter Park. You’ll arrive at your destination in 1 hour and 38 minutes. WHAT??? 

I thought that maybe google was broken. I cleared my search and started over. Same results.

*Hangs head and yells, “It figures”.

Off I go!

Long story short, my plane arrived in Denver at 5:05 pm. I got to my hotel at 9:30 pm, Denver time (11:30 pm Indiana time), exhausted.

I smiled when I found out I had a surprise waiting on me at the front desk. But I digress…

That’s not even the end…

I get to my room, start to unpack, and hear loud yelling and screams of cheer and joy coming from the next room (must have been a game on). I figure I’ll deal with it. Yeah, 15 minutes later, I’m over it!  I repack the stuff I got out, hauled it back to the elevator then down to the main level.

I explained and they were more than accommodating. The young man gave me a room one floor up, on an end. He assured me that I’d be alone down that hall with no disruptions (SCORE).

Now, we are at the end…