Shipments Arrived: What’s with all the stuff?

I do not like a lot of clutter around, especially when I’m trying to work or relax.  I’m not a neat freak, but I do believe everything has a place. (OK, maybe I have a hint of neat freak in me) Nonetheless, when our shipments were delivered I felt a tad overwhelmed by the many stacks of boxes throughout the home. Therefore, I couldn’t allow myself to do anything, including writing on my blog, until everything was put away. I put my personal life on pause until all our belongings were put in a proper place.

On 21 March the movers arrived to our home in South Carolina to pack our belongings. We had a total of three pack out dates arranged. The express shipment was packed first and scheduled to arrive one to two months after we landed in Algiers. The Household Goods shipment and Consumable Goods shipment were both packed and picked up second and scheduled to arrive three to five months after we got to Algiers. The last of our items were packed and delivered to a storage facility in Charleston, where it would remain until the end of our tour on Marine Security Guard (MSG) duty. That was all of our stuff in various boxes, going to different locations.

Since Algeria is a third world country the Department of State (DoS) deemed this post to be worthy of a Consumable Goods shipment from the states. Consumables are things such as non-perishable food, personal body or hair products, and household cleaning items. Due to the limited items offered in Algeria it was highly recommended that we purchase as many consumable goods as we could. Although this was very costly for us, several people suggested we invest in the goods because the price for food and other products in Algiers was quite costly. The tricky part to this all was that we needed to purchase enough goods to last us for at least eighteen months. My eyeballs rolled so far to the back of my head when I first heard this information. I’m all about stocking my pantry and freezer to cover me for a couple of months, but for eighteen! All I could think was, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” But I was comforted with the thought that I was clearly not the first person to tackle such an extreme task. I did my very best to figure out how to shop for eighteen months of goods, but at the end of the day it was all an estimated guess. I was positive that I either bought way too much of something or way too little of another. I will have to wait until the end of our eighteen month tour to find out how I actually did.

Over the past six weeks my husband and I have been living off of the items we mailed to ourselves prior to arriving, the items we packed in our suitcases when we flew out here, the items we ordered online over the past few weeks, and the items we purchased at the local markets and store in Algiers. Surprisingly Algiers has more products available than I thought they would. Upon going to the grocery store I noticed several items that I probably didn’t need to purchase in my consumables. However, everyone was correct about the high prices for most things. The vegetables and fruit are very cheap, but other items are almost twice the price in the states for half the quantity. I would probably begin to cry if I added up the amount of money we have already spent on food and household items. The currency is in dinar and I have been oblivious to keeping track of how much of my actual dollars I’ve been spending. It was tear-worthy because I knew I already purchased most of these items in my consumables; therefore, I was double dipping. I couldn’t wait until our goods arrived to avoid spending such a great amount of money.

At the end of April we received an email stating our shipments arrived in country. Our shipments had to first go through customs before we could receive them. There are American embassy personnel that have been here since January and still haven’t received their shipments. Their shipments are in country but have yet to be released from customs. You can imagine our shock when we received a phone call from a lady in the shipping office last week, around 10:00 a.m., saying that our goods were ready to be delivered at 1:00 p.m. that afternoon. What? I felt bad for the people who hadn't received their stuff yet, but I also felt relieved that ours finally arrived. Although I was ecstatic that our shipments were on the way, I planned to have the Marines over for dinner that evening. I knew it would be too much for me to simultaneously have the delivery and cook a big dinner. Our shipments would have to wait one more day at the warehouse. We postponed the delivery until the following morning.

The person in charge of shipping told Douglas we were receiving six boxes. I was a bit baffled because clearly we had many more than six boxes. Maybe they would only drop off a few items at a time. It didn’t make sense. I called the lady again to clarify and she repeated the same thing, “You will receive six boxes.” At that point I was convinced that six boxes in French must have meant something completely different in English.

The next morning there were two trucks and four men outside our front door. Clearly there were more than six boxes on both these trucks. Two men took items off the truck and the other two brought our items in the house. It took a few hours. I was surprised there weren’t more people to unload. Our consumables were so heavy. I didn't lift one box, but I could tell the weight from the way the men carried those boxes which such strain. I had no idea how heavy they would be. When purchasing the products in the states, we simply told the lady at the store what we wanted as she entered the desired quantity manually into the scan gun. I might have reconsidered my purchases had I known how much those items weighed once packed together. Hindsight always allows for a better perspective. I wish someone would have slipped a bit of it in my water prior to us making our selections in the store.

Thankfully the boxes were labeled, so I was able to tell the men which room to put each box in. This made it tremendously easier when it came time for me to unpack everything versus having all the boxes piled up into one area. After a few hours everything was unloaded and inside. Unfortunately one of our bookshelves didn’t make it. The bookshelf looked like someone intentionally broke it for fun. Obviously it was an accident, but what happened? Also, the lid to my Kitchen Aid slow cooker was shattered. I’m actually not surprised at that damage. The glass to this lid had been shattered when Kitchen Aid first delivered it to me five years ago. That was an easy fix. I ordered a new one for $30. Hopefully it will arrive in one piece.

Since duty called for Douglas, I was left with the task of unpacking all the boxes and putting everything away myself. I truly didn’t mind because I knew if I put everything away then I would know where it was later; in its proper place. Douglas has not quite caught on to my theory of everything having a proper place. We have a lot in common, but organizing a home is not one of them.

There were a few boxes that accidentally ended up in our shipping pile when it was intended to be in our pile for the storage facility. As I continued to unpack box after box, there were certain times I thought, “Yes, I’m so glad we have this now!” Then there were other times I opened a box and thought, “Why did I even pack this?”

Before I met my husband I moved several times. I have relocated from state to state on one coast, across the country, or from one street to the next within the same zip code. After meeting him I always felt God was preparing me for this military lifestyle all along. I thought I was accustomed to packing, moving, unpacking, and making a house my home time after time. Except this was my first move with someone else and with the military. It was shocking enough to have less than thirty days to get all of our stuff separated and ready for packing (we were not allowed to pack anything ourselves), but I was even more astounded when I realized how much stuff we had accumulated over the nearly three years we lived together. I honestly believe that if I had more time to prepare, I would have donated or trashed certain things rather than packed them in the to-go or to-storage pile.

This move taught me something very important, and gave me a new outlook on how I view the things we call “stuff.” I no longer want to be a collector of random things. I don’t want to hold onto papers that have no meaning. I don’t want to hold onto clothes that I once wore five years ago when I was smaller or larger. I don’t want to hold onto clothes that don’t make me feel great when I put them on. You know that feeling when you pick something out of your closet or dresser drawer, and put it back because you don’t really care for that pattern or color on you, or the way the fabric hugs your body. Well, maybe I should just get rid of it because it’s not going to change when I pick it out again in another two weeks or two months. I’ve bought clothes that took me a year or two to wear because I was waiting for the right time. Seriously! How often does that right time never surface? 

 

I definitely don’t need to hang onto clothes that I plan to use as dust rags. Seriously, how many old socks, underwear, or t-shirts are we going to collect as rags for cleaning? That is why they sell rags or cloths in the store! The last I checked, they are not expensive either.

Then there are my towels and washcloths. If the edges are frayed, the color has faded or looks like it has been tie-dyed, then it’s time to put them in the trash pile. Yes, I did say trash pile and not the donation pile. This is one time that our rags are not someone else’s riches. Really, would I want to walk into a thrift store and purchase another person’s beat up towels and washcloths to use on my body?

Next are the random cups. What am I now, a cup collector? Why do I have so many cups, glasses, containers, mugs, etc. It’s just my husband and I. We can only drink out of so many cups. And ever since we were given Tervis Tumblers as a Christmas gift, we barely use a regular glass anymore. As great as it is to receive a free cup from an organization or as a giveaway prize, sometimes it’s better to not even allow those items to be brought into the house.

Books! I unpacked books that I have accumulated from yet another free event or books that were given to me, and I was too polite to decline. But books can be donated, and that is exactly what I should have done awhile ago. Someone else could make better use of the book, opposed to me watching it collect dust and take up space on my small book shelf. Maybe then I would have room for the books I enjoy and want to keep.

I can’t forget about food. If I had the food products in my pantry for so long, then I probably should have tossed it out a while ago. Not only did I have zero desire to eat those items all this time, but it surely had to lose its flavor and freshness by now; even if the expiration date is still good. Why would I pack it in hopes that I would start fresh and consume it at my new location. So often we buy stuff in hopes that one day we will feel like eating the food or acquire a taste for it.  Perhaps we should just eat the food one day and if we don't like it, give it away or throw it away.

Then there are my bins. After unpacking everything I had a bundle of stuff that I didn’t know quite know where to put in the house. I couldn’t figure out what some of it would be used for, when we would use it, or why we really needed it. So I placed all the unknown items into one bin and called it our random bin. Why is there a random bin in my house? Why do so many of us have several random bins or a closet filled with random things? If it doesn’t have a place in my home, then maybe it shouldn’t be in my home.

I think I’m afraid of throwing certain things away because I never know when the day will come when it's needed. Maybe this theory worked well when I lived in one place for a long time or didn’t have as many random things I held onto, but who wants to take the time to pack and unpack random crap every time an order is received to relocate. Not to mention that it all goes against my weight limit during the move. Yes, we are limited to a certain number of pounds per move, based upon the Marine's rank. We definitely went over our weight allotment. Because of this we will have to pay heavily. Lesson learned.

As happy as I was to receive all my stuff, I will be elated when I sort through everything (including those items in storage) upon our return to the states and get rid of that which I allowed to unnecessarily follow us for so long. Often we already have great, classic outfits in our closet, plenty of jewelry and shoes, more food than we can eat in a month in our pantry, enough games and electronics to keep us busy for years, books that are just on the shelves taking up space, china and kitchen ware that never get used, or papers and receipts that have turned yellow with no purpose for future use. I have come to the realization that most individuals, including myself, currently have so much in our possession, yet we continue to seek out more. What else can we add to our stock pile? What’s the latest version of the already efficient item we have in our home? Why is it that when we get a much needed replacement for something in our home, we still hold onto the old item that is worn away?

At some point in our lives we may hear ourselves say, “I wish I could, but I don’t have the money.” The money is there. Maybe the physical cash is not in a wallet or bank account, but browse through your home, in your closet, under your bed, in your garage, in your storage room, in your pantry, and you will see plenty of money. You will see your future, dreams, and aspirations for yourself and your family. I no longer want a bunch of meaningless stuff in my possession. From this move, I have been inspired to ensure that going forward, everything I purchase has some type of meaning or importance, brings me joy in some kind of way, is not a duplicate or a backup for what I already own, and definitely has an appropriate place in my home. Holding onto things that serve no purpose can sometimes spill over into our everyday lives. We get comfortable with clutter and that which has no meaning or value and then wonder why we’re having a hard time moving forward.  Who really needs all that stuff anyway?