Decluttering is Hard!

Some of My Best Portraits

As my visa to the USA is progressing nicely now, it's long past due for me to start clearing out all my stuff ready for the big move. I wouldn't call myself a hoarder as such - not in the over the top obsessive way but after years of living away from my parents when all my prized possessions fitted in one bedroom, I have definitely accumulated a lot of items as keepsakes and 'oh, that will be useful one day' type stuff!

The last week or two have been ok as I've just been sorting the more recent things but now I'm delving into boxes I haven't unpacked since I left my ex-husband and those are the boxes full of memories all the way back to my childhood. It's heartbreaking to just throw it all away but I can't afford to ship it, there's nowhere to really put it in Cold's apartment and I definitely can't justify storing it here either!

I might keep this set!

I also didn't realise quite how much camera and photography related gear that I've hung on to. Not only do I have a full studio lighting system but cables, props and additional lenses all add up to a lot of weight & space! I used to be a member of a camera club with monthly competitions. I was the only digital photographer there at the time so I also have loads of CD's full of photos as well as mounted photos from all the competitions!

So today, I have stripped all the camera club prize labels from the back of the mount boards and taken all the photos out of the mounts so I can try & sell the boards on ebay or maybe at a boot sale. For my American friends, it's kind of like a yard sale except you load up the car and take it to a field with loads of other sellers & hope someone buys your bits and pieces.

I have 2 boxes of books to go as well - some of which I've had since I was a teenager. The urge to keep a few is very strong but so far my 'to keep & take with me' pile is very small. I'm working on taking only 2 large suitcases with me and one of those will definitely be clothes.

My first sale went well I think and now my Mum is digging out stuff for me to sell too! I'm like 'Mum, noooo!' but I haven't the heart to tell her that.

So if any Brits want some camera gear going cheap, let me know & I'll send you a list of what I'm selling.

I need to sell as much as I can because this visa process isn't cheap! The medical is £250 (about $375) and the visa itself is £150 ($225) too so although I'm never going to do a gofundme thing, if you feel like helping out a little, maybe you could use one of my Amazon links next time you go Amazon shopping? Or, if you're into photography, you could always buy my book - Improve Your Flower Photography - every little bit helps after all!

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