When Possessions Hold You Back: 5 Storage Solutions for Round-the-World Adventurers
Staying put in one place for too long can lead to a life of tedium. It is nice to have a place to call your own, sure, but once in a while you just have to appeal to your inner sense of adventure. Not for a weekend, or even a week, but for an extended long-term trip and preferably one that spans the globe. However, whether you are a renter or a homeowner, before you pull up sticks and go gallivanting around the globe with your kids in tow, you need to work out what to do with your house full of possessions.
At first, the prospect of arranging storage for your considerable collection of possessions might frighten the life out of you, but if you really think about it, this is an opportunity to wipe the slate clean. If done right, after your trip, you'll return home to a clutter-free life with an equally uncluttered mind to boot.
Use Your Imminent Trip as an Opportunity to Purge
It can be painful to let go of the junk it has taken you so long to collect, literally, according to a 2012 study by the Yale School of Medicine. However, the prospect of traveling the globe for months on end might just foster within you the will to finally let go.
The first thing you should do is identify the items taking up space that you will probably never ever need; then bite your bottom lip and look away as you throw them away.
Give Away or Sell Your Junk
If dumping your stuff is too painful, then you will probably find plenty of takers should you decide to instead give it away. Local thrift shops will bite your arm off for your armfuls of junk, and friends can help unburden you of your things in advance of your trip. At least you can rest easy knowing your belongings went to a good home.
Craigslist, Facebook and Ebay are also all good places to sell your things if giving them away doesn't sit well with you.
Borrow Someone's Attic, Cellar or Garage
If you have a large extended family or plenty of friends, you can now take advantage of the combined storage space on offer. Though dumping your entire home into someone's life would be a little selfish, if you split the load between your friends and family members, you won't be overly imposing on anyone and you can save money on storage solutions.
Get a Storage Pod
Freed up of most of your itty bitty possessions, you'll need somewhere to store the remains of your possession collection. Storage pods, while not the cheapest option, are convenient because they can be dropped off in your driveway, allowing you to step out your front door and store to your heart's content without worrying about costly trips back and forth.
Once done, your storage pod provider will take the pod away and store it, leaving you free to go traveling the globe.
Rent a Storage Unit
You can also rent a storage unit at a local storage facility. Though, if you live in an area that experiences hot summers and cold winters, you should definitely consider getting a unit that is temperature controlled to ensure your stuff doesn't succumb to freezing temperatures or sticky summers. If cost is a worry, try asking around your friends and family to see if anyone else wants to double up with you and share the cost. Everyone has clutter that they secretly wish they could someday dump; you just need to ask.
When using a long-term storage unit, ensure you keep your things stacked on pallets or wooden planks in case of flooding, mildew or mold. Once your stuff is safely stored away, out of sight, out of mind, you and your family can finally take that trip of a lifetime you've waited so long for.