i can't help reading these comments and thinking how much fun it must be, helpful or not, for you to read people's reactions. i wish i had the courage to share this freely. i'm not surprised how many people this entry resonated with- i'm one also. and while short responses are usually best, i couldn't help write 2 things:

*1st~ not having looked at it for a while, i picked up 'Living Out Loud' this morning, and took it with me to coffee. i read about the comfort you found in Ann Frank's words at the hospital, and the activity of using random pages of a book as an oracle. when i got home, i looked up your blog, and scrolled the page, but didn't get to read- as a conversation with my boyfriend ensued...about.... moving. later i came back to my computer and found this entry on the screen. somehow it felt just like flipping through a book to a random page. i found solace in your honesty and appreciate the questions you are/were posing. this decision to move has been an unclear one for me and this morning your words brought some much needed clarity. so, thanks for that.

*2nd~ i noticed how many people think the West coast is a good move. being on the west coast myself, it pleases me to imagine your view of it, and to think of what wonderful things you would bring here. but i can't help wondering.....how that change would influence your work? so many of the details you take from what is around you seem to add up to a really special quality in your work. i paint at home all day, and some days when i'm discouraged about my work, i think about how you are tooling away up there in your magic cottage and it helps me along somehow. i can't help being a little sad at the thought of that picture changing. but maybe it's just the "grass is greener" thing for me.
ultimately, i know that you will have the ability to brave any new environment and incorporate it into your life beautifully. i look forward to seeing what happens.....good luck!
~donovan

Keri, your introspection is perfectly timed since we are discussing possessions on our simple living board...'owning only 100 things'. 'Do I use it? Do I love it?' are good questions to ask.

Could you please post or email me the link to the boathouse you stayed in in BC? I remember your diary about staying there but can't find it in your archives. To me it was the essence of simple living!

Thanks for sharing!
~ Chickadee ~

There are 4 essential questions that may help to make a decision:
*What will happen if you do?
*What will happen if you don't?
*What won't happen if you do?
*What won't happen if you don't?

Imagine yourself in both situations /stay/go and what it is like in 1-5 years -- how does it feel like? Trust your feelings.
You'll find the right thing for you!
Claudia

Keri, there is no wrong turn if you give it time. Whatever you do becomes the right choice. That's what I have learned. I moved across the world from Ireland to San Francisco years ago, and yes, there were many months of crying in the shower every morning because I was so homesick, and feeling lonely because i didn't have friends yet, but gradually I moved into my new life, and I made friends, met my husband, bought a house. I have no regrets because whatever I do brings me somewhere new.

And if by "west coast" you mean the Bay Area, you can't do better than that. San Francisco has a wonderful art scene and it's 70 degrees today!

Your Simplify line of thoughts have come at a perfect time for me. Things have been falling into place lately, and I also just saw a cute movie, "Out of the woods" that exemplifies this topic. We all think simplify at times and promise to do it one day when we get time, then we go on unaware of all the stuff in our life taking up that time we thought we never had to begin with. I have started a list, love lists, that as I use something I jot it down with a note whether it worked well or was enjoyable. I go over the list later and can see for example, ohh I love that mug it makes me smile or that that darn gadget is aggrevating. I can then see that if it doesnt honor and enrich me I dont want it. I can also see that at the end of a week or month or year what items never even came up and just take up space, why do I really have it? Simplify to me has become just releasing anything and anyone that does not free me up to be and do what I want.

It's funny, my husband and I move quite often (every 3 years) just to see the country and go places we wouldn't ordinarily go. Our idea was to live in each "main section" of the states, west coast, pacific nw, southwest, midwest, etc. So far we've lived in san diego, san francisco, santa fe, madison, wi and now austin, tx. There are ups and downs. Sometimes I yearn for the familiar but other days I'll think, "Wow, I'm in (fill in the blank)".

As a result of these moves we travel relatively light and I find myself down to the things that are near and dear to me. You'll find your place, you may find yourself re-defining "home". Good luck to you.

This message totally resonated with me as well. We're in the middle of buying a new home and all of the packing/deciding/cleaning that goes along with it. I've been finding myself looking at the things we're surrounded with here and thinking,"Do I really need this to be happy?"

Finding that there's a lot less I need than I originally thought.

Thanks for the thoughts!

This post resonated so much with me. My husband and I are moving to Portland, Oregon in 13 days, and I have been trying my best to simplify the move, let go of all sorts of things that I no longer use or need. Almost each thing I have tossed or left on our community bench these past weeks I've had such a hard time letting go of, and yet, I can barely remember most of the things I have let go of just one or two days later, from books to clothes to misc other items, and the feeling of relief and lightness that I am left with each time I let something else go is really wonderful, and the more I narrow down to the most essential and meaningful stuff, the more I can actually enjoy it. That said, we still have too much stuff we don't want to part with!

I was waiting for a post like this considering your husband's ceaseless moaning about Ontario winters. LOL.

I look forward to seeing what new adventures are calling you (plural).

The west coast would welcome you with open arms...especially Portland, which is awesome! We'd love to have you here!

I have been thinking alot about mental and physical 'shifts'. At the moment I too, feel unsettled and thoughts of moving are whirling around my brain. I know that part of this is because I have 'mind/work' stuff I would like to change and I feel like I can not make it happen here.

But I know that there is also some unhappiness due to family issues that are unresolved and I am wary that the impetus to move my 'physical' place will not resolve these.

I think sometimes it is hard to separate in your mind the reasons for doing things.

Sometimes I think 'physically' shifting yourself can also 'mentally' shift you too and it is the change you need in order to do that.

I love the way you posts philosophize about life issues, there was an article in our papers recently about how we have lost the ability to sit and philosophize about life now. People interviewed had started up Pub meetings to sit and have a drink and talk philosophy.

a camera...definitely a camera.

we moved from a huge house to an 800 sq ft. home, and had to put a ton in storage...i thought i had it down to a minimum...then we moved to Mexico for a few months, and could only take what would fit in the back of our car...I realize that my necessities are much less than I once thought.

I have beent thinking about the "stuff" issue a lot lately too K - love that you listed out what was essential for you. Must do that for myself.

I am soon to be moving to the East Coast.....
loved reading your first paragraph. Each beginning is always another's end.....

don't forget about the music...and an internet connection

Keri, I don't think you're the one who's afraid.

As I am also pondering a west coast move to, a friend wrote this poem for me. It helped me, without giving me the answer. Maybe it will help you too. The right choice is to make a choice. http://paulguest.blogspot.com/

Beautiful post Keri ... when we separate our needs from our wants, we really need very little, and it can be so freeing to shed that extra stuff. Twelve years ago, when I divorced, I did some huge winnowing, going from a 4-bedroom home to a small townhouse. Two years ago, when my son graduated from high school, I was planning to move to California, and did quite a bit more paring down again ... it felt so good to have only the things I really love around. The universe had other plans for me, though. In the midst of my preparation, I met John, and shortly after, he moved in with me, so actually, all the clearing out of closets I had done came in very handy at that time ... just not for the reasons I initially thought. We then considered moving together, and on a scouting trip where I woke up several mornings from nightmares, I realized that at this time, it was more important to me to be near family, so here we are, still in NJ, but with a different perspective (and a lot of heavy coats). I had to go through the process of making a move real, though, before I really got the core of how I felt and what I most valued.

Thanks for your inspiring blog. It's always thought-provoking!

I have been wanting to move back to the west for many years now! We unintentionally made a life here in the midwest and now with children and all, it is much harder to pick up and leave. We came from the west so we constantly feel the pull to return. The sky is different, the people are *very* different and the forests are different there. I miss it very much.

You know, I always loved the idea of your little house in the middle of the forest... It kind of makes me sad that you want to leave :) Would you sell your house if you did? Or keep it for vacations?
I'm a European who has never been to the West Coast, but I can understand the pull. The climate, the ocean - not at all bad things!
It's always tricky to know exactly what the heart wants. Particularly if it's an indecisive one. :) Good luck with that!

Hi Keri!
Since you are one who has inspired me to blog I think it's nothing but fair that I give you the opportunity to check out my blog. Just remember I'm a new beginner! /L

"In some rather dark moments I have got on my knees and said to the universe, "Tell me what to do! I have no idea what course I should take!!!" I do this so much and its amazing how much we doubt our own desires.

I have also pared down dramatically over the year and am so much happier its quite amazing how little one really needs to be honestly happy and how it makes room for things that you really want - time above all,which is everything.I think the offical term for it is "voluntary simplicity" or something like that.

You wrote: >The heart knows, but we don't trust it most of the time. Instead of "what do I do?", the question might better be, "how do I trust my heart?"

"We dance around the circle and suppose, but the secret sits in the centre and knows." Zen Proverb.

Second time is the charm... sorry in advance if this is a duplicate post.

Keri,

I love your blog and really find it inspiring. I live and work overseas and we found that the act of putting almost all of our stuff in storage 5 years ago very scary. We will probably go back to Oregon (west coast rocks btw) and throw/donate most of it. We will keep the pictures, cookbooks and valuables. The rest... GONE.

I plan on linking back to you in my simple living singapore blog today. Very good post. Thanks for sharing.

Keri,

I read your stuff often and I love it. This is a great post and I am going to link to you in my simple living singapore blog. Very true. What makes a home and what do you need to survive.

And, from a west coaster... living far far away... if you move west, you will love it!

i am working on a zine about home at this very moment. This entry was very interesting and thoughts are brewing.

i live on a coastal front and every few years we have hurricane and tornado warnings. i used to play a game wiasking myself that if i had to run for cover what would i grab with me. answers over the years varied from the practical (passport and documents) to the insane (sentimental-value items. your post reminded me of what i have always wondered...what does one actually need to survive?

Keri,

so so exciting!! The Westcoast is sooo beautiful!! I live in B.C. and it is gorgeous. My favourite place to be though is on the Island (Vancouver Island) actually: Long Beach. Just amazing for Artists. The place to be. :-)

Leaving and letting go...I moved all the way to Canada from Germany! I left almost everything behind (what fit on my wooden shipping palette came with me and swam over the ocean which took a while but everything made it and was in good shape which is amazing) but I was the happiest girl alive when I left because the most important "thing" I had with me: my husband. :-)
Since then we've moved a lot within Canada (6 times within 3 years isn't bad, hahaah!)due to his career and now we are finally settling here after we bought our house.
Do I miss Germany? No, I don't at all. My family? Yes, sometimes. Can you believe it we haven't even been back to Germany ever since we left which is now 3 years ago.
One thing I miss though from Germany is liquorice, hahaha!
Would I want to go back to live in Germany? Nope. I love Canada (I think I was a Canadian in my past life maybe...who knows).

I am very excited for you but can imagine that it might be scary depending on how deep your roots are...
;-)

i like the ink blot. a lot.

Your post resonated with me because I get too emotionally attached to the smallest things- having a good memory can sometimes be a bad thing because I remember where and when and why about things rather than just look at the things to see if they are useful/practical or not. I can honestly say that as much as I really hate going through things and deciding which things mean more than others, I always feel amazing after the things are taken away. I've recently joined a local freecycle group and I am having so much fun with it- I've given away a bicyle and a scanner and received an antique sewing machine. I love freecycling, or donating things. It definitely feels much better to pass things on rather than throw them out.

Wow, this is exactly what I'm going through. I've been cleaning and going through boxes of stuff in the attic that I've saved since I was a kid. As I look through everything, I can't bear to get rid of anything. All the things from my life accumulated in 20 bins. Now that I'm moving in a few months, I am overwhelmed about what to take and what to leave/throw out. I don't want to take it all with me, but I don't want to chuck it either. I'm also dealing with leaving my home and family. It's so hard for me, but it's a change that I know I need. I'd feel so much better if I wasn't weighed down with by all my "stuff".

As one who moved on from midwest to westcoast many many years ago, I can tell you... it's not always easy, change never is, but in retrospect it's probably the best thing I ever did. Hang in there.