Preparing to Move to a Furnished (Minimalist) Apartment in Seattle
After lodging in downtown Seattle for several months, I’m now preparing to move across town, to a furnished (minimalist) apartment for a longer, more sustainable stay.
Emotionally. Physically. Environmentally.
Because it looks like it will be at least six months before travel will return to normal. And I really want to be closer to nature, yet still within walking distance to everything one needs.
I’m kind of excited about it.
One would think this a swift and easy move, just across town. And in one sense, it is. Just zip up the bags and hop on the monorail, light rail, trolley, bus, or Uber.
Yet, even though I’ve downsized my life to travel and live out of my luggage, I somehow still collect stuff as I roam. Especially when settled into one location for a while.
So, right now, I’m in the middle of some minimalist spring cleaning.
Decluttering
While still in the current furnished apartment, I’m going through all of the following with a fine-tooth comb:
zipper sacks
packing cubes
backpack
rolling bag
freezer
refrigerator
pantry
countertops
Any personal or food items that have not been used, that I’m not planning to use, or that need replacing, will be placed into a donation pile.
Any paperwork that can be digitized (via a cell phone photo or scan app) will be digitized, then the paperwork will be shredded manually.
Donating
Thankfully, once we gather everything we want to donate, we can just walk to several nearby donation sites:
I’m not sure which option is best at this time, but I’m leaning toward the homeless camp because our items transfer well to their needs.
For instance, we Iive out of our luggage, which is filled with four-season clothing. They live out of carts/luggage and need four-season clothing.
As well, so many who are homeless in Seattle have walked by us in states of despair, and it’s heartbreaking.
When one is in such a traumatized state, it’s not physically easy to go somewhere to get help. Somebody should bring services to them.
In the past, I’ve given away winter socks this way, and everyone needed them.
And since I’m upgrading my luggage, I think those in our homeless camp might be able to use a roller bag (that’s waterproof) filled with clothing and food.
Cleaning
No matter where we lodge, we cannot escape household chores. We are responsible for cleaning up after ourselves.
Of course, no matter how early I start these chores, I somehow manage to feel overwhelmed by them when we’re preparing to leave one location for another.
So I’ve started cleaning early, and I’ll handle the following one final time at our current location:
clean the bathroom
clean the kitchen
sweep and wash floors
put all furniture back to how we found it
take recycling out
take trash out
photograph the apartment (to show how we left it)
breathe
Stocking Up
Due to the pandemic, our local store has set limits on how many cleaning products one can buy at a time. So I’ve been slowly stocking up on a few eco cleaning supplies.
I’ll take them with me to the new apartment the day before the move, at which point I’ll also…
collect the keys
verify all utilities are up and running
take inventory of the new apartment
take photos of the new apartment
rearrange the furniture
set up the office space
wash dishes in the dishwasher
sanitize hard surfaces
make it cozy
I’ve never had the chance to do this in advance of moving in with luggage, but I have the option this time, so I’m excited to do so. There is something so lovely about cleaning and nesting, whether short- or long-term.
Dreaming
Most importantly, I’ve been dreaming about all that I want to do from the new apartment over the next six months, in a safe and socially-distanced way:
grow sprouts
walk to the farmer’s market
walk to the parks
walk to the forest
walk to the lake
walk to sustainable takeout
walk to medical appointments (a COVID vaccination?)
walk past local shops
walk to blossoming cherry trees this spring
find an organization with which to safely volunteer?
As well, during this time, my boyfriend will be tending to some local responsibilities so he feels prepared to travel slowly again, as soon as we’re allowed…
help loved ones
tackle much-needed work on his boat
prepare his property for another long-term absence (update: he sold it!)