Aside from the usual feeling of tiredness that I have after a holiday (it’s typically the travel back that does it though it can be a result of a very active holiday too), I generally have another feeling or rather, a thought.

I still have too much stuff.

I manage to live out of a suitcase for decent stretches of time, in a room that’s not much bigger than my bedroom and only on this last occasion, have I missed something that I left behind. A beanie. It was a little chillier than I’d anticipated and I left my beanie at home. That said, I actually have three beanies at home. One that’s thermal and suitable for ridiculously cold temperatures, a brown one that I bought on impulse many years ago because my head was cold and a cream knitted one which is more of a casual beanie since it has a pompom. A casual beanie, what was I thinking? Is there such thing as a formal beanie?

This is in addition to my panda-hat that I wear skiing or the hood that I have on my ski jacket too.

And now, I own another beanie. This one is grey. My head had been surprisingly cold and it was impacting my enjoyment of the sites.

A few of the beanies are now clearly unnecessary. It is time to say goodbye to a couple of them at least. Probably the brown and grey ones.

Since I can live self-contained when I travel, it suggests that a lot of other stuff at home is unnecessary. I’m not referring to kitchen bits and pieces since I don’t normally cook while I travel. I’m referring mainly to clothing and extras, the just-in-case type items which seems to be easy to double-up on for some reason.

The upside is I feel inspired to go through my cupboards again and donate more things.

The downside is that I need to say goodbye to a pair of boots. I have a one in, one out policy where practical (it avoids the beanie scenario with other things) and I bought a pair of boots on my trip. They were an intentional purchase, as my others have worn out.

I’m finding it difficult to say goodbye to that pair since they are easily the most comfortable pair of boots that I have ever worn (my Dr Martens are a close second). Putting them on the first time was like slipping my foot into a custom-designed casing with perfectly cushioned soles. The leather was so soft that it didn’t need wearing in. Everything about these boots was perfect. Except the price. At the time, it was a ridiculous amount to spend on a pair of boots. That said, I still don’t think I’ve ever spent that much on another pair of shoes or boots and these were bought around 12 years ago.

I even remember buying them and the store that I bought them from. The conversation that I had in deciding whether it was a good idea to spend that amount of money on footwear or not is still fresh in my mind. They were an excellent investment, served me well and using dollar cost averaging, I’ve made money in wearing them (that would be great if it really did work that way, I’d be rich for sure just from these boots).

I’m going to donate them since I figure that perhaps whoever collects them will be able to use them for something. I’m just struggling with the idea of putting them into the recycle centre bin. It seems like a rough way for them to go, I’d like to gently place them in their new home. The same way they’ve cushioned my footfalls, I’d like to cushion their landing. Yes, I know they don’t have feelings. It just seems like they should be given a bit of respect for the service they have provided me.

The leather is even softer now and slightly wearing through and cracked in some places. The sole is broken and the leather has split from part of it. It really is time for them to go. They have served me well.

Those other beanies on the other hand, they were short-term fixes. They were effective. They were unnecessary had I been better prepared. These will go to better homes where they will definitely get more use than I did from them.

So I’ll say goodbye to a few things this week as my downsizing continues.

Thank you boots, you have served me well.

Then to the cupboards… maybe after a sleep first.

* Thanks to Meg Mac for the title to this post.
If you’ve never heard her, check her SoundCloud stream. She won the 2014 J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year from Triple J.