“Shambles” is much too nice of a word to describe our apartment — or our lives, for that matter — as we remove our worldly goods from closets and shelves and box them up for sale and storage. In a two-minute video, Louise conducts a tour of our Portland apartment — or what’s left of it — 25 days before we begin the expat life.
The Expat Almanac 
I’m so glad you’re still smiling!
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Will be doing that more and more!
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Love the video Louise! What a fun idea. We’ve moved many times and have gone through a multitude of downsizings. And while it may look a shambles, I can tell that you guys are actually well organized. In addition, I know from personal experience, that there’s no way to avoid all the mess of a move. Also, I have one suggestion, which you may have already done. That is to go ahead and rent the storage unit before you need it, even if it’s not the one you end up in. This way, you can get the storage stuff out of the way, and it feels great. Hang in there. ~James
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WE ARE WELL ORGANIZED? !? That’s a surprise! I guess there’s no way to do this without a mess. Thanks for the tip.Tom was right on that one. Our ten by ten block awaits.
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Louise, you won’t miss ANY of that stuff. And I bet that when, or IF, some time down the road you have occasion to come back to the States and open all those storage boxes, you’ll be wondering what on earth you were thinking when you packed half of it. When I sold my house I found I had stuff from 3 households, mine and the two dead parents, and I thought I would go nuts deciding what to keep. I barely think of any of it now, except to be so glad I don’t have to store it, move it, toss it, dust it or shift it around a tiny apartment and storage unit. You are going to have a great time. Remember: when I left, it was only for a year…………
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That is a downright heartwarming message, dear Claire. You are so right! I look at objects and think: “Do I REALLY ever want to see this again?
This is my fourth downscaling in ten years and I never miss anything that’s gone.
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Louise, You are too cute! What a great video … and you’re a natural. Do I detect some “camera presence” in your background? I really enjoyed the walk around your place – very cool apartment. And all the apartments you’ve chosen for your journey look fabulous, too. You must be so excited! ~Terri
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Ooh, thanks, Terri! My new preoccupation is finding cool apartments that don’t cost a bundle. I call it “real estate porn.” Doing it on the internet is a bit dicey, and we haven’y been 100% happy (why do the pictures never show the drunks camping out by the front door?) but we have high hopes for our European selections!
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