We migrate.

It’s part of what we as humans do and have done throughout our history. Our pioneering past meant moving in search of the basics of survival; the need for food, shelter and safety.
Today we’re still on the move, but not for the same reasons as our ancestors. We primarily move for personal reasons. A new job, upgrading to a bigger and better home, as the result of a promotion, getting married or divorced, or perhaps retiring.

People change their location of residence somewhere between 5-10 years on average – depending on where you get your statistics from. Stats also suggest that one out of every five people will move in any given year. That’s 20 per cent of the population relocating every 12 months. Americans move an average of 11 times during the course of their lives, and I imagine us Canadians are in the same range.

At least I’m well on my way. By the end of the month, I’ll have relocated for the fourth time in the past 10 years – an average of every 2.5 years if you’re doing the math.

Not that I wanted to move again. But things happen.

Experts say it will take about six months to become familiarized with our new surroundings and 2-3 years to feel “settled.”

Nonetheless, there’s no turning back now. It’s time to box up our belongings and move on.

Fortunately, not all of those belongings are coming with us. There’s been a vigorous purging process taking place at the Kuepfer household in recent weeks as items that have outlived their uselessness have been weeded out.

Some of those things survived last year’s relocation project. This time the bar has been raised.

Packing makes you realize one thing: you sure collect a lot of junk that you don’t really need – and never really use for that matter.

I have had sick fantasies in the past about having all my possessions lost in a fire. (Yes, I know, I’m a deeply flawed individual.) But wouldn’t it be freeing in a way? Wouldn’t it be great to start over, from scratch? To come up with a different game plan? To go back to the drawing board and decide to ruthlessly collect and hoard those things in your life that are only absolutely essential?

After all, you can’t take IT with you, whether that IT applies to your money or possessions.
Not that I’m complaining about the wealth I enjoy, some of which has translated into material things. And I’m not talking about material things that have been gained through an above-average salary. But even the most middle-class of us can fill our homes with dollar-store junk we don’t necessarily need, or want.

We’re just easily convinced consumers and sellers bank on the fact that we have artificial needs.

Once we decide to pick up and move we will ultimately come face-to-face with our abundance of material goods. You know, the kind of stuff that moths and rust can destroy.
Moving affords us the perfect opportunity to take stock of our lives – at least the material part of our earthly existence. Maybe it does bear spiritual overtones.

At any rate, it has been good to come face-to-face with our material assets over the course of the past few months. But that hasn’t come without a great deal of inconvenience and hassle, which I guess goes hand-and-hand with forward progress.

And since we’re moving, I guess that’s appropriate. I just hope we don’t have to go through this again anytime soon.

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