Stuff.
I’ve been quite busy the last 10 days and do not want anyone to think I’ve forgotten about the site! It just so happens I have a regular job and other things outside of the internet that have been keeping me busy. So people might be wondering what I’ve been doing over the last 10 days? Sadly, the answer is mostly work. I have been able to get some bike rides in, but it seems like it’s been mostly work, getting ready for my China trip, and doing some much needed cleaning and purging of “stuff”. It is that topic of cleaning and purging which I want to talk about with this post.
About a week or two ago, I sold my 196 movie DVD collection. I didn’t realize how much space the movies took up. This was the start of my cleaning. I then was busy for awhile and didn’t have energy to start looking at other “stuff” in my room. Finally, on Friday, I started doing some much needed cleaning around my part of the house. I went through all my clothes and all the “stuff” in my room. It’s actually taken longer than I thought. What I found was that there is a lot of stuff I simply didn’t use or need anymore. Whether it is clothes that I don’t wear or gadgets/devices I don’t use, I made a decision to either donate, throw away, or craigslist the items I wasn’t going to use. I’ve included photos of the DVD collection and the items I decided to donate. Right now, I have a couple of for-sale ads on craigslist, hopefully they will get some interest. It certainly feels pretty good to get rid of un-needed things. That’s not to say I’m done. I’m currently trying to decide what other things I haven’t used and can do without. I’m trying to get rid of the things that get in the way of me achieving my goals. That’s the main thing I’ve learned from this exercise is the things I’ve gotten rid of are things that I either don’t use much anymore or get in the way of achieving goals.
DVD collection and Binders all boxed up!
I'm trying to sell this Dorm Fridge on Craigslist.
I’ll look for other opportunities to get rid of stuff as it makes sense. It does feel pretty good to have less. Sometimes less is really more.
Other things I’ve been spending time on
Some other things I’ve been working on is ordering gear for my trip to China. One of things I want to try out on this trip is traveling lighter. I’d like to be able to carry my main backpack on the airplane instead of checking it with the airline. I’m also purchasing some clothes that are quick drying and designed for traveling. My intent is not to use them once and have them sit. I am using this as a mini-test run for when I do a longer trip in 2-3 years. I’m making these purchases now and planning on using a lot of the same gear when I go on the longer trip. More to come as the orders start to arrive.
I’m working on a Travel Gear and Bike Gear pages. Sorry they are not live yet. I’m still deciding on a basic wordpress theme to use. I’d like something fairly simple that lets me focus on content and not worry about site design. I’m also waiting until I’ve had a chance to review alot of the things I am using on my China trip. I’d like people to be able to visit the gear pages and see my reviews of each thing.
Another thing I’m working on is improving my mandarin. I still want to get a post cranked out about my thoughts on learning Chinese for the last 7 months. Hopefully, I can do this before I leave on the 29th.
On the financial side of things, I’m running the numbers and seeing when I project to be debt free. It will really depend on how I structure the over payments, but I’m estimating about 15 months from now.
Finally, I’ve been connecting with friends. It’s been interesting. A couple of my friends are going back to school to get their MBAs. I’m excited for them as they start the next step in their lives and have new beginnings. It will be great to hear their perspectives and see how they change in the next 2 years. Hopefully, I’ll be able to hang out with them at their respective schools.
The next few weeks are going to hectic as I get ready for China, visit friends and family, and stay busy with work. With the summer winding down, I encourage you to take some time out of your day and reflect where you currently are in life and where you want to be, relax for a minute, and then go for where you want to be.
- What's in my travel bag for China? For the clothes I am taking, I had two requirements - comfortable to wear and fast drying. In my previous journeys abroad, I had always taken jeans, cotton socks, tshirts, and boxers. Not so with this trip. A common theme is that the clothes are fast drying and claim to......
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- Chinese Life outside Shanghai After buying a train ticket to Xi'an, my friend from Shanghai wanted to take me outside the city to get a different perspective on Chinese life. We headed for an adventure in the town of Tongli which is about 90KM from Shanghai. Tongli is such a sharp contrast from Shanghai.......
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