Tag Archives: Nordic Countries

May12

The process of leaving – Part 9

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April, 2024

Closing out the store is almost like a ritual. Shut off the lights, shut down the equipment, sweep the floors and clean the counters, and lock the doors.

Closing out my apartment was a bit less of a ritual, but it felt a bit more somber.


I took it slow and steady, as I’ve done with pretty much everything else in preparation for this trip. I packed my things. I cleaned as I went. The international movers came, and took my most important things with them. My friend and I rented a uHaul, and took everything that I was going to sell out from the apartment. I brought the remaining middle-ground things to the storage unit. Lastly, the disposal folks came by and we threw out everything remaining.

I went through each utility, line by line. I called, cancelled, and told them that I was moving internationally and wouldn’t be able to transfer service. It went smoothly, and kept me busy enough that (for the most part) I was able to focus on the tasks at hand.

It was emotional in between the tasks.

I’ve mentioned, but seeing my home turn into a generic apartment was really tough on me. The photos coming down was the hardest part, and lasted the longest, but that didn’t mean the rest were any easier. I rode the emotions as best I could, keeping my to-do list in mind and making sure to grind through it as best I could… while liberally reaching out to friends and family when I started to sink into deep sadness.

Friends and family helped a lot – when going through emotionally tumultuous times, I absolutely reach out to the life rafts around me.

What else to say about this?

I cancelled the utilities one by one. I worked with the apartment management company to ensure everything went smoothly, thanking everyone profusely for the amazing home they’d helped me maintain for these 3 years and 11 months. I was friendly and grateful, and in turn they helped me make sure everything went smoothly… and even helped me ensure I didn’t get caught in a few common traps that they knew people oft-times would.

I’m sure I missed one or two things, but I’m cautiously optimistic that they won’t be too challenging to fix on the road. Time will tell, but I can cleanly say that I felt a strong wave of closure and loss when I locked that door and gave away the key for the last time… but that sadness was strongly flavored with optimism and hope for the next grand adventure.

May8

The process of leaving – Part 8

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April, 2024

I’ve made comments on the emotions of leaving – how sad I am to be walking away from an amazing life that I’d built in Oregon, and how hard it is to un-anchor myself and float free on the tides of this emotional rollercoaster we call life.

It’s been hard for me, taking the steps to move on, but I would be remiss is I didn’t mention the upcoming mental hurdles that I expect to face… getting on the road is a huge step, but it’s not the end of the story by a long shot.

Years and years back, when I left Massachusetts for Venezuela and the New Zealand, I was giving a great piece of advice by a fellow adventurer, “You’ll get homesick sometime in the first few weeks. It’ll hit you like a ton of bricks, and will break you if you let it. Prepare for it – Have some memorabilia from home, find a way to watch some cartoon, and stay inside for a day. Let the emotions wash over you and pass through you, and you’ll be fine.”


In preparation for that, I have some options that I’ve packed and prepared.


I’ve brought some snacks along for the ride – coffee, snacks, that sort of thing. Keep me fed, keep me happy, even if I can’t get access to the infinite cafes that I’m sure I’ll find.

I’ve uploaded some movies and shows for myself – Adventure Time has been my stalwart companion throughout all my adventures, and I’ve finally found a complete box set. I uploaded it to my laptop, and I’m ready to go.

I have my music – I’ve confirmed that Spotify works abroad, and even if it doesn’t I’ve got some various songs downloaded just in case. I have two pairs of headphones (one big, one small) so I can keep the tunes coming.

I’ve some some workout gear, so I can keep myself moving even when I’m not walking all around a European city. I’ll be away from the heavy weights that I’ve been focusing on for the last few years, so this will be a great chance to keep the muscles fit while embracing a lifestyle away from a desk of a set of weight plates.

Lastly, I have a stuffed puppy. A beanie baby that Bri gave me as a gift when I had my wisdom teeth removed.

May4

The Process of Leaving – Part 7

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April, 2024 – Stripping Down to the Necessities


Storing, Shipping, or Selling.

Those are the “buckets”, so to say, that everything of mine is falling into.

Some things are obvious – I’m storing my car, since I can’t ship or pack it… and I don’t quite want to sell it just yet. Some things are less obvious – Climbing Shoes, for example… am I going to get to climb during my trip, or can I safely ship them? Not sure… still working on that.

Most fall pretty easily into one of the buckets, though, so thankfully it’s just become a process of making it all happen. Cleaning up the apartment, physically putting things into the storage unit, and then actually posting and selling the things that I don’t plan on keeping.

It’s… freeing, though a bit melancholy as well. I’m able to step back and look at what I really need, and then get rid of that which I don’t really need. I’m being exceptionally strict about what I put into storage – This is an opportunity for me to make a clean cut in life, an extreme version of when I moved to Oregon, and I don’t want to anchor myself to the past too heavily through this transition. Major sentimental value items are coming with me… but the vast majority of unnecessary extras as getting sold off.

In parallel with this, I’m locking in exactly what I’ll bring with me on my adventure. I did a trial run of what I’d pack, back when I went to Oklahoma, so this side is fairly simply… it just requires a bit of finesse on the final bits, along with locking down what sort of checked bag I’ll be bringing, and what exactly I’ll be putting into it.

Snacks, contact lens solution, my first aid kit… It’ll be a light and small checked bag, to be sure.

And that’s the key here, right? Strip everything down to the necessities. Don’t bring more than I need… but don’t forget to bring the things that are critical. It’s not easy, especially doing this in both the material world (what pants do I bring?) and in the emotional world (what memories do I carry into this next phase?).

Neither has an easy answer… but thankfully I’m navigating it well so far. I have friends and family helping me out, along with airlines and trains and busses and boats helping keep me honest with what I’m carrying along.

At least what I’m carrying physically. The emotional side is a different battle entirely.