Upwardly (im)mobile

This morning, as I woke up in my 869 square foot apartment, I couldn't help but look around and smile. I realized, now that I have lived here for about a month, how well I sleep here, how happy I am to wake up here and, how 'normal' it's beginning to feel to be here now. It's actually kind of nice. Besides being bright and open and oh so quiet, everything has been put away, put in its place and organized. It feels like I live here!
I like the apartment (even the three flights of stairs to get here) and I LOVE all the things inside. My things--my treasures--my stuff! This may not be where I spend the rest of my life, but it's the perfect 'stepping stone', it's a place to sit down, a place to take a breath and a way to save over $2000 a month. Yes, TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS.

You know I've spent the last four months downsizing, minimizing and simplifying in every way--my belongings, my home, my life. I love the fact that every single thing I own is right here with me in these 869 square feet. And it's not cluttered or crowded...nope, it's actually quite perfect.

I was thinking of the term 'upwardly mobile' the other day and how completely immobile you actually become as you achieve more and more worldly 'success.' You move to a bigger house, then a bigger one, buy more furniture for that house, and more for the next one, more TVs, clothes, shoes, purses, art, knick knacks, cars...and so on and so on and so on.
As far as being 'mobile', well, you're not at all! To move, you have to pack for weeks, hire an 18 wheeler and pay thousands of dollars to have everything moved to the next place. It's just not for me. Not anymore, for sure.
How much stuff does one person really need?

I have made, quite literally, a dozen car loads full to the Goodwill in the last few months and I sold most of my furniture and 'collectibles' on Craig's list. I can quite honestly tell you that I have not missed one thing. My mother asked me the other day about a quilt I had and I told her I had given to Goodwill--along with several other blankets and throws. She was a bit upset--but I had never used it. Never! Most of those blankets had been folded up in a drawer for six years. My thought is that, hopefully, someone is snuggled up in each of those blankets tonight.

I spent the last few days unloading boxes and putting the remaining few things away. Everything has a place and a use, or it is no longer here. And it feels fantastic. Clean and light and simple. (And I still have more to go through and thin out...)

As I sit here each night in this new little place I call home, on my ONLY couch, watching the Dodger game on my only TV with my feet up on my 'hope chest'--a gift from my parents for my high school graduation--(my only coffee table)...I feel like this is it. This is what life is about.
So comfortable and quiet and simple and easy.
And, I might add, totally mobile.