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| The view of the Grand Teton Peak from my parent's backyard in Tetonia, Idaho, is spectacular! The mountains and the open space were things I enjoyed when visiting them. I will miss this view. |
The rest of my trip to my parent's house was uneventful. That is exactly how I like my travel days to be. When this is the case, it generally means that everything went well and there were no surprises. After returning to the Mountain Standard Time Zone, it takes me a couple of days to get readjusted. Fortunately, this time, it doesn't take me as long as it did last December. There is more daylight now, which I am sure helps me out. For me, the 8-hour time difference and time gain are much harder than I would like it to be. I find it interesting that according to online research, I am in the minority. Most people find traveling east and losing time to be more difficult than the inverse. I wonder if, subconsciously, I've already permanently the States, which makes returning more difficult.
As I previously mentioned, my parents sold their house recently. It's great to see my folks again. We keep the reunion short as we have a lot to get done over the next week. Unfortunately, their new house won't be ready for another month. So, not only do we need to pack, but we also need to move all their belongings into storage. Then we'll be off on a new adventure, camping in the 5th wheel trailer in northern Idaho. The next month will be a new adventure for me. It's not every day I get to be homeless with my parents. 😂 I am looking forward to it!
It feels odd being back here. Things are moving at a light speed every day. I do what I can to maintain my practice and stay grounded while also maximizing my time. There is a lot to do. I feel like I've put my life on hold for the next few months. The few people I meet are my parent's friends. My social life is non-existent, which makes it harder to connect with being back. My days are consumed with loading boxes and wrapping my parent's furniture in preparation for the move. I expected that I would be busy and wouldn't have much time for meeting new folks, but nevertheless, it still feels odd.
Over the course of several days, I accompanied my dad to Idaho Falls as we moved some of their belongings into their storage units ahead of renting the moving truck for the big move. I've helped my parents move several times in the past, and I am still surprised that I am not used to it. I always tell my friends that moving is a good time to purge. Perhaps that is why I still find it difficult to understand why people feel they need so much stuff in their lives. When I decided to travel last year, I widdled my belongings to a fraction of what I had. I frequently think that a 10x10 storage unit is too much stuff, even now. 😂
I've been traveling with only a backpack for over a year now. I've carried all my belongings on my back. So, it is a bit overwhelming for me to be surrounded by so much stuff and things that don't get used frequently. I think this is a by-product of when I was a kid. When we moved to the United States, I was 6 years old, and left everything behind. My mom packed a few of my toys, but most stayed boxed up for years. Consequently, I have no attachment to things. For me, material things are simply objects. I don't attach myself emotionally to them, so I think it is much easier for me to part ways with things than for my parents. Even though I differ from my parents, I have no interest in changing them or forcing them to get rid of stuff. However, I joke with them and tell them if they had less stuff, we'd already be done.
My struggle is when it comes to selling items. I find it hard to get the value out of items. As a result, sometimes I keep things longer than I should. Eventually, I get tired of having it around, and then I accept that I am not going to get the value. This results in me getting peanuts on the dollar. There have been some people that have gotten some great deals by buying stuff from me. The funny part is I always feel better when it is finally gone, even if I get only a fraction of what it is worth in the end.
Below is the UHaul moving truck (i.e., big truck) that my parents rented for the move. The truck is 8 m (26 ft) x 2.5 m (8 ft) x 2.5 m (8 ft).
During one of the trips to Idaho Falls, my parents take me to see their new house. Although the house is still under construction, they have access to it. For reference, the house has a three-car garage, three bedrooms, and two baths, with a basement and 260 sq. m (2,800 sq. ft). It will be a while before we can move their belongings into the house.
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