I’m writing this from the road. Four adults and three children stuffed into an Excursion– an over-sized vehicle that feels a bit too small for us. We are traveling to New York for Uncle Frank’s 70th birthday. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but I’m pretty sure Frank’s not reading my blog. My sister-in-law and I volunteered to ride in the far back. Baby Blake and his car seat are sandwiched between us.
I’m practicing deep breathing and pulling patience from the very core of my being. The bright side is, I enjoy the company. The people are not the problem. It’s all the stuff.
When you’re traveling with kids, there’s a fine line between packing too much and not enough. There’s stuff under my feet, between the seats, behind my head. I look out the side window and admire the rural Pennsylvania country side. I’m not much of a country girl, but right now, I’m loving the looks of all that space. At the sight of it, I’m able to exhale.
Over at Hybrid Mom this week, I am taking an inventory of the things I really need and the things I don’t. Click here to read Project Clean House.
And what about you? What do you do with all your stuff? Are you more likely to save it, or get rid of it? Have you noticed a difference in how it makes you feel?
angiemizzell 
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I know what you mean about “all your stuff”… I’m in the process of purging my stuff to make room for a new addition to the family. It always feels good to de-clutter… it’s like purifying a little corner of your life.
Ah yes, there’s never so much stuff as when you’re traveling with kids! Now that my husband and I are solo travelers, we’ve learned to manage with the bare minimum. But we just took our two dogs on a road trip to Florida, and I found myself packing all kinds of stuff for them…favorite blankets, pillows, toys, snacks, medications, dishes…just like having babies again
Enjoy your travels!
When I lived in Toronto I had a lot of stuff. Then I decided to move, that minute, basically, and I got so overwhelmed with it all I ended up just leaving boxes and boxes of stuff on the curb. I didn’t even want to know what I was throwing out – I just wanted to be rid of STUFF. (It was a decent amount of stuff, but probably not that much relatively, since I was single, had no children or pets, and all of it fit into a junior one-bedroom in a highrise building in downtown Toronto. Most of it was books, CDs and clothing.) But still, it just seemed ridiculous that I had this much STUFF. When I threw it out I did feel lighter and less burdened, very free…for a while.
But now that I have practically no stuff anymore, I want my stuff back!!
Especially the brown velour tracksuit. The trenchcoat I never wore (but it looked very stylish on the hanger). All my Tom Waits CDs. All those books!! Ah!
Just so long as I know I’m perpetually dissatisfied.