Quote: (12-31-2014 07:32 AM)Phoenix Wrote:
How attached to this stuff are you? Why not just flog it all and start fresh when you come back? If you have any sentimental trinkets you could always leave them at a friends or relatives house in a box.
It sounds like that isn't even being considered by you. The freedom you'll gain by not being attached to a bunch of stuff is fantastic.
This is my opinion based on two overseas trips as well as moves across the country. You can buy the laptop size 1 Terabyte drives for about $80, and with five
of those unless you're doing high-def pro movies you can put everything on there. Forget DVDs, torrent the movie when you want to see it again. You already paid for it if you bought the DVD so it is not morally wrong in my opinion.
It sounds like you might want to move and Detroit doesn't seem like the most favorable place in the world. Why would someone want to spend the rest of their life there?
If you are EVER going to move away, you should set it up NOW... the longer you stay somewhere, the deeper the roots, and you will be held down if the place is not the best for you.
Main Points:
1) Except irreplaceable memorabilia. Just sell or give everything away that you can't get on a plane with or easily in your car. ( Without the rear window being obscured and the passenger seat full of crap. ) No one should be able to look at you from another car on the highway and have it be obvious you're moving.
3) Irreplaceable memorabilia: I have a silver dollar my mom bought me when I was about 7. I keep it with my passport. You shouldn't have big things like trophies that you can't take on planes. Take photos of them and ditch them.
The costs of storage, and the requirement to go back to that place whether you want to or not is not worth it unless you have high income and a ton of heirloom furniture that can't be replaced or the like.
It sounds like you'll be in the USA with a car, so that reduces start up cost whenever you to a new location.
-- Memorabilia-- compress ( letters from parents etc
--furniture sell or give away and claim tax deductions on it.
--Don't leave stuff that's salable with women. Ask me how I know.
-- Clarify the situation if you leave a guitar or other valuable with someone, that you still own it, they have the use of it and they keep it if you never come back but you have the right to come back and pick it up.
Only do this with reputable long-term friends.
Most importantly , to fully create your own identity, you probably have to leave behind anyone you knew from high school, unless they figure in your career or life plans heavily and favorably. When no one knows you, no one knows what to expect and you can do new things without disappointing anyone or shying away from changing because you don't want to rock the boat.
