141 days to go!!

Guys, guys, guys! All three of you in fact! Oh boy, oh boy are you in for a treat!!

I’m halfway there. Approximately 5 months to go, and this past month has been FANTASTIC! And not just in terms of downsizing our lives.
I’ve rediscovered my love of stamps, started a running challenge, hugged and laughed with dear friends, read a bunch of books and started an outdoors woodpile project. Oh, and we also bought a second house!
You guys have been so patient, so it’s time to reward you with something you’ve actually wanted to see in these blog posts. The before and after photos of the century!! Hold onto your socks.
But first, please admire my first fully packed decent-sided box. Melbourne, here we come!

The Before and Afters

First off, we have Kyle’s spaces.

Kyle’s wardrobe is looking so much better compared to last year. Now, with any luck, he might be able to grab a t-shirt from the shelf without a million things falling on his head. It’s unlikely that this space will look much different before we head off to Melbourne. After all, he’s left with only his favourite clothes now, so why downsize any more? The fact that we can share a wardrobe says we didn’t need to do a whole lot of minimising in this area in the first place, and that’s true.

Yip, this counts as Kyle’s space too, because it’s 90% his stuff. You can identify his stuff, because it’s neatly arranged, unlike my messy area which I don’t even need to point out. This shelf has been hard going, as a lot of it is sellable, but only to a niche market. There is also my pile of miscellaneous papers which need to be kept, but not necessarily in physical form. Also, photo and certificate albums to find a solution for. So many decisions…

This corner solely belonged to Kyle as well. A neat little server setup with desk and chair, surrounded by empty boxes of tech. Although he never used it as such, it could make for a relatively neat man cave corner, if it weren’t for my obnoxious medals hanging on the wall of course.
While this area looks the most impressive, it was also the easiest. So, I will pat myself briefly on the back for it, and move on.

Now it’s my turn. This wardrobe is basically done, bar some taekwondo gear and the lingering crap on the top shelf. I’m proud of how this turned out and it’s definitely a weight off knowing that I no longer own clothes I never wore, so I can stop feeling guilty about not wearing them. Granted, I still have shoes to sort out, but those ‘before’ photos haven’t actually been taken yet.
Before we move, I’ll be replacing some of my clothing with newer versions because clothes are cheaper here than they are in Melbourne. #SaveTheMoneys

Goodbye physical games!
You know, it just occurred to me that if I really work hard on this shelf next month, I could move the left-over games onto the shelf next to the couch… But I’ll let future-Simone decide on that one.
What’s left to do here is to decide whether the contents of the big-boxed games are worth keeping and if they’re sellable.

As mentioned before, this cupboard is a pain to declutter and my progress looks much more impressive before going grocery shopping. However, both Kyle and I have started making a concerted effort to use and consume some of the less commonly ingestible things in this cupboard. For example, just yesterday, I finished off some sunflower oil which had been sitting in the cupboard for a year with only 2cms worth of contents left. And we did a bit of baking during lockdown too.
And this coming month, we’ll be substituting honey for sugar to finish off those three happy tubs sitting there. Go us!
Also, we have a tonne of gifted alcohol sitting there on the right. Anyone keen for a party?

Pros of decluttering this shelf:

• It’s really easy to do
• The progress I make here is going to make a huge difference in the tiny apartment we’ll most likely be living in this time next year

Cons of decluttering this shelf:

• It looks pretty all colour-organized…
• I have to read a bunch of unread books before October to decided if I’m keeping them or not (could also be seen as a pro).
  Frankly, I think it looks just as messy now as it did last year. But I have to remind myself that that’s not really the point of all this, it’s just a happy outcome (most of the time).

Ta-daaa!!!
I have worked on this shelf consistently since my January beginnings and I’m extremely proud of myself on how far I’ve come.
I’m getting to the point very soon, where I’ll be selling the shelf and just working on the bits and pieces left. Before long, there’ll be nothing in this corner at all!
But first, I have a punch of papers to scan. So, we’ll see how it goes.

Honourable May Mentions

You know that woodpile project I mentioned earlier? Well here’s what I’ve done so far.
These stones need to go, but it’s been tough to find people who will even accept them for the very low price of “free”. So, I was ecstatic when I finally found someone during level 3 lockdown who was willing to take some of them off my hands. It was a win win, because I wanted them gone, and the guy I found needed a project during lockdown. Obviously, there are still stones left to get rid of, but I’m in a much better place than I was last year. The remaining stones are being shovelled out the way so I can start on a woodpile that is finally safe from rain. This will be an ongoing project that may never finish but May had a giant leap in progress and I just had to share.

Kyle tidied his desk and I managed to get rid of the little blue and green shelf in the corner. Yay!
And lastly, I managed to sell our old bathroom window which I’ve been wanting to get rid of for four years. So, while this before/after doesn’t look as impressive as the others, it’s the one I’m probably most proud of.
Also, judging by my wisteria you can tell it’s getting progressively colder as the days go on.

So that about sums me up, chums. I’m extremely excited for June, and that’s because I’ll finally have access to a scanner again. I must stop myself thinking about it just so I can get to sleep!
All the metaphorical brick walls I hit in April can finally be completed.
Also! I’m receiving a beautiful new stamp album for my birthday. My friends are the best! This will allow me to combine my four current stamp albums into one (space-saving ftw) and will allow me to sort through my un-albumed stamps and throw away an entire shoebox.

The Personal

And now I’m going to bring the tone down a little bit.

Everyone I’ve ever loved has moved away. Parents got a new job (and kids don’t have a choice); the polytechnic here doesn’t offer the right courses; God has opened up a miraculous opportunity to work and minister in Japan or India...
Although tears, loss and temporary loneliness followed reluctant goodbyes, the peace I received from understanding their decision made the pill easier to swallow. Understanding why they left allowed me to reconcile my thoughts and know that the reason for leaving was for a purpose bigger than myself. I’m deeply familiar with what it’s like to be left behind.

I’m in a somewhat fortunate position to only be leaving one friend behind, or in essence, one couple. And so, this month I was mulling over how our leaving New Zealand will affect them and what I could do to help. I’ve faced various levels of guilt for leaving. Although mostly, I’ve been overwhelmed with the support received, which has covered almost all of my negative feelings towards the move. However, I think it only fair that I explain my personal reasons for wanting to move.

Since 2018, I’ve struggled with my own lukewarm spirituality. That struggle turned into unfair feelings of contempt towards the lukewarm Christians I chose to surround myself with. I was yearning for growth, but I wanted others to pour into me, instead of searching for truth and meaning myself. I was lazy, and I was ashamed of it. In 2019, I decided it was time to change churches and attempt to make stronger Christian friends. It was through this time that I learnt of my gift of encouragement. That if I could just use the God’s gift of encouragement on the lukewarm Christians around me, then maybe God could use that to build us into a stronger community. And it worked! The life I started receiving from my friends began lift me up, and I started receiving encouragement from them just by seeing them grow. It was like a breath of fresh air.

And yet, I wasn’t growing. I was taking small steps when I wanted to be taking big steps. I wanted to further the Good News of Christ, instead of hindering it with my so-so attitude. My level of comfort was holding me back, and that’s when I realised I needed a fresh start.

I’ve become stagnant in Hawke’s Bay.

Now I know this is completely my fault. My faith is my responsibility. And I may be naïve in thinking that Melbourne will be any different, but I need something new to test me, to deconstruct my thought patterns and to teach me something new; I need more equipping. God has new things to teach me, and he can’t teach me here. The season has moved on. It’s time to move away from the region I grew up in, away from my parents, and away from familiarity.

I’ve just finished a prayer plan on YouVersion called Dangerous Prayers by Craig Groeschel. Word of warning: DO NOT start this plan if you’re not in a place risk everything. I knew I needed change. I knew I needed a slap in the face. On the second to last day of this plan Craig mentions Isaiah who answered God’s question “Who will I send? Who will go for us?” and Isaiah said, “Here I am. Send me.” A statement uttered before reading the mission statement.

So I am going. Into what, I do not yet know.

When I’ve gotten scared about the move, I’ve taken my worries to Kyle. But I should be taking some of them to my dear friend Rebekah too, the one I’m leaving behind. Because she’s been a rock before I even started leaning on her. I can move on from Hawke’s Bay, knowing her prayers and support are behind me, lifting me up and pushing me further. She’s rooting for my success, as I will continue to root for hers. And I cannot think how a person can be more blessed than I am.