Reflections from my last move in August 2008:
Save for a two week gig in a financial firm, I have not worked in four and a half months. It has made me want to tear my hair out at times because we are socialized to always be working, and to not feel useful when we are not at a structured work environment. Yet, I have not sat at home doing nothing. I have job hunted, researched, maintained house and cleaned, helped friends and family with various things, etc. Being unemployed has helped me to have time to organize our move to Brooklyn. Boyfriend and friends moved the boxes, but I did the packing and organizing.
In about two weeks after the move is fully settled, I plan on seriously job hunting again, though I check the job listings daily to see if there is anything I can do. I have gone to several temp agencies for paralegal jobs, but they think that I do not have enough foreign trademark experience. It is just as well because everything works out for a reason.
Living out of bags and boxes this past week have given me a very important realization: I do not require much at all to live. I just need shelter, food, my books, internet, shampoo + conditioner, hairdryer, brush, concealer and lip gloss, cell phone + charger (I am considering a pre-paid plan but one of my close friends is in grad school in CO, so I may need the minutes to chat with her. I don’t think I can cancel without incurring early termination fees anyway), and a few items of clothing. I am seriously thinking about downshifting and getting a part time job to pay the bills, while I persue some intellectual interests that I have been putting off for many years now.
To engage this, I believe that external arrangement always helps the flow of the internal. So I am ready for the next step of living a minimalist lifestyle – drastic minimalism, i.e. eliminating ALL unnecessary things. That includes my remaining magazines (after I skim through them – body and soul will be done today, harpers and the new yorker tomorrow); all office supplies/knick knacks; all makeup except for 3 eyeliners, 1 concealer and 2 lip glosses. I am also going to pare down my clothes even further, and donate books that are not going to really assist me in the future or that I do not love (yes, even the ones I have not read yet). My goal is to be able to fit all my books into 2 suitcases and my clothes, etc into 1 large suitcase. This 3 suitcase limit was inspired by my friend, Jack.
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