Stuff

Ok. So, the countdown is on. A little over a week to go. Suitcases packed. And unpacked. And packed again. The edited version of my possessions. Making room for the good stuff.

Never a big follower of the “less is more” movement (I mean, just look at the ridiculous amount of books in my book shelves!), there is something to be said about having to fit all your belongings – your stuff – in two pieces of luggage and a carry on. It feels strangely liberating and at the same time impossibly hard to do. What is it that I really need while in Downunder? Trying to make room for the truly important stuff, I pack and unpack repeatedly, purge ruthlessly, try to think small.

In all fairness, moving to a country like Australia makes it easy to be a minimalist. Bikini, shorts, flip flops ( aka ‘thongs’!). Done. No Canada Goose, winter boots, hats, scarves, mittens, no long underwear, snowshoes or ear muffs. Looking for the joys in less.

But surely I need to bring my Coldplay t-shirt from 2012. My unicorn eraser collection. The golden pig my mom gave me 30 years ago when saying goodbye. The Canada dish-towel with the mooses on it, in case I get homesick. And a bottle of maple syrup, no!?

So I pack one suitcase with school stuff – things I find essential to teach the way I want to teach. White boards and markers, bug counters and letter stamps, blocks and tiles, my hand puppet, books, paper, journals. And stickers – lots and lots of stickers. After all, what’s a Grade 1 teacher without stickers. I’m sure they have all that stuff in Oz as well, but way take a chance if you can put it in your suitcase.

The other piece of oversized luggage is for my personal stuff. Some clothes, as I’m sure that teaching in a bikini is frowned upon even at a german school. Shoes (how many darn shoes does a human being need?). My own little version of Shoppers Drug Mart (Hello? People come from far away to buy Polysporin in Canada and I’m sure they don’t have proper sunscreen in Australia). I just want to be prepared, is all.

Well, and then there are the books, journals, pencils, pens, markers and erasers. They say to digitize everything when travelling abroad. Sorry, can’t do that. I’m a paper and pencil kind of girl. It’s hard enough for me not to pack my record player.

I’ll miss my record player. My albums. My Madonna record. My friends singing Cherish! with me. The books on my shelves. My fluffy Raptors blanket. Having dinner with my fam. If I could, I would pack it all in my suitcase.

But in the end it’s just stuff. …And good memories. And I got lots of room for that.