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Moving internationally taught me how to declutter. Now, my husband and I live a minimalist lifestyle.

25 November 2024 at 02:18
Maria Polansky and her husband sitting on a couch in their living room.
Maria Polansky has learned the art of decluttering through multiple moves.

Courtesy of Maria Polansky

  • I've moved multiple times over the past five years, including two international moves.
  • I've learned a lot about decluttering and letting go of material things during this time.
  • Now, my husband and I live a minimalist lifestyle.

There's nothing like a move to prompt a thorough decluttering session. An international move makes the mission even more pressing. Over the past five years, as I moved from Canada to the UK and back again, I've absolutely mastered the art of decluttering.

My first move was fairly easy. I'd been living in a shared rental with roommates, so I only needed to pack up my room. Still, before leaving, I remember weekly donation trips to thrift stores and endless posts to Facebook Marketplace trying to sell or give away what I couldn't take. After weeks of decluttering, I managed to condense my belongings into a single suitcase and carry-on.

My husband and I accumulated a lot of stuff together

The second time was much harder. I moved to the UK for love, and while there, I started building a home with my husband. Like any new couple moving into their first place, we had fun making it our own. I became obsessed with the clothing and decor stores that weren't available in Canada.

Over four years, our one-bedroom apartment became filled with cute vases, plant pots, decorative plates, funny mugs, fitness equipment, novelty games, and books that we never got around to reading. Our storage closet was a mini danger zone with its haphazard stacks of boxes and containers โ€” think Monica Geller's closet of shame in "Friends."

An international move forced us to pare down yet again

In 2022, my husband and I decided to return to Canada for a calmer pace of life and easier access to nature. We'd been living in the bustling post-industrial Birmingham, where he was from, while I was from the more relaxed, coastal city of Vancouver. We gave ourselves just under a year to plan the move and pack up our lives again.

Remembering how long it took me to declutter and pack before moving the first time around, I began the process five months before our official move. I had grown attached to many of my new belongings, but I had to be honest with myself about their practicality. There's only so much you can fit into a suitcase.

Maria Polansky's apartment living room with a blue couch, white table and chairs, and plant.
Maria Polansky and her husband now live a minimalist lifestyle.

Courtesy of Maria Polansky

I started with my wardrobe, purging impulse purchases and seldom-worn items. I was left with a streamlined capsule wardrobe that's still serving me well a year and a half after my return to Canada; it all fit into a carry-on and a checked bag, much like what I brought with me when I first arrived in the UK.

The home goods were harder to deal with. I didn't want to let go of everything because starting from scratch is expensive. I had to get rid of the bigger pieces, like plant pots, and generic items like dinnerware.

We shipped over a box with a handful of decor pieces we really liked (along with our winter coats), but otherwise, all we had with us was two checked pieces of luggage and our carry-ons when we got to the airport. However, I'm embarrassed to say we didn't manage to get rid of everything; our landlords messaged us to let us know we had left behind a few trinkets in the cupboards.

Our move made me realize just how easy it is to accumulate things you don't really need. Since we've been back in Canada, we've adopted a minimalist lifestyle and have been very selective with what enters our home. And we've never felt more at peace.

We're in another one-bedroom apartment, but now, we're without a storage closet to dump our clutter into. Although we're not planning on moving abroad again, I live with the mindset that I might at any given time โ€” how easily would I be able to pack up my life again if I needed to? With our current streamlined wardrobes and practical selection of home goods, I'd like to think we wouldn't need another six months to declutter if the occasion arises again.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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