Belize: We have a departure date and four suitcases to fill

We have a date. It is February 7. On that day, with two suitcases apiece, and probably a backpack each, we shall be leaving for Belize.

Picking a departure day wasn’t too arduous.  Rose and I have been talking about leaving in March but the speed with which our belongings are being bought up, distributed and discarded makes us think that sooner, rather than later, makes more sense.

So, we were driving through San Francisco recently … and started talking about “sooner.”

Rose says “How about February 7^th?”

And I said, “Okay.”

And she said, “Okay, then.”

The conversation echoed an earlier one:

“Let’s move to a foreign country.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, then.”

“How about Belize?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, then.”

Another conversation was about where we will live. It went like this:

“How about San Ignacio?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, then.”

This one actually has changed from week to week, between San Ignacio in the rainforest and San Pedro on the isle of Ambergris Caye.  As it stands, we are now moving to Belize on February 7^th and living in San Pedro.

Okay, then.

But see? The big questions get answered quickly and easily. It is just all the stuff in between that takes time and effort.

Much of the effort from here on in will be filtered through a very specific matrix of questions:

Will it fit in our suitcases or backpacks?

Do we need it in Belize?

Do we really need it?

Can it be stored somewhere?

Do we really need it?

Can it be sold on Craigslist or in a spectacular January yard sale?

Can it be given away?

And finally: Do we really need it?

Once you have a timeline and a framework – also known as a deadline and four empty suitcases – what needs to be done before the move becomes clearer.

Okay, then.

Related articles

• Help us crowdsource our move to Belize (robertjhawkins1.wordpress.com)
• Road to Belize: Consolidate, compress, distribute, discard (robertjhawkins1.wordpress.com)