Thoughts on "stuff"

As we planned for moving, and then as we actually packed the boxes and the shipping container, my thoughts turned to be about our stuff. We have a lot of stuff. After 5 years of marriage we have collected boxes of things. None of it is worth any money. Most of our furniture is hand-me-downs from when I finished medical school and finally moved into my own apartment with no roommate. But, most of it we use frequently, like our dishes and our kitchen appliances, the vacuum, the couches, rugs, bed, dressers, bookcases, and camping gear. Some things we only rarely use. Like our bikes and wetsuits and my grandmothers china. But, it is all gone now. In a shipping container headed to Blantyre, Malawi. We'll get there before it does. We are living out of suitcases for the next 3 months.  It's a difficult thing to prioritize what exact things you need in 2 suitcases for the next 2 months. Including what you need when you land in a new country, and don't know ahead of time what items will be most helpful there. Though, we got nice tips from friends who moved recently to Cameroon and to another part of Malawi.

But we also worry about our stuff. Why take it all to a continent and country with so many people who don't have as much stuff as we do. We left the bird feeder behind. How can you feed the birds when so many children are malnurished? But I am conflicted. One side of me says, we should prepare well, take enough supplies to run the whole house off solar panels. Live off the grid. Don't worry if the city power goes off, our back up solar will kick in. We could bring our own food and transformers and water filters. But, then the other side of me says, just leave it all here and live like they do there. Throw out all the food when the power goes off and the food in the refrigerator spoils. Why set up ourselves as "white people" who have a lot of stuff? That is not our intent. But it's too late now. Everything has been packed and sent off.

It is an odd transition. I am still working here for 2 more weeks, but I am becoming more focused on the issues that await me when I land in Blantyre.  I still have one more board examination to sit for next week (that I should be studying for now). And still have some fundraising to do for the equipment I need. But, over all I think we are ready. Well, as ready as one can be. I alternate between feeling excited and ready and feeling overwhelmed and terrified. But, I just tell myself that is "normal" for someone moving overseas to start something new. We've met people that shared with us all the tears they cried while moving overseas. I haven't gotten to that point yet. But there are days I feel very stressed.