My husband and I left NYC for 2 years, ditched 90% of our stuff, and lived in 10 cities
I said no when my boyfriend asked him to move with me in 2017. We’ve been going out for a year and both New York City was about to end. Im If we only lived somewhere, we would have saved a lot of money, dedi he said. But I panicked.
Our lives felt very boring. We were on the way to follow the traditional relationship game book. Then we would have married, then we would have children, and before we know, our iron -coated routines would direct us to a retirement house.
Instead, we have to do something different. We sold 90% of our belongings, hid the rest in the basement of their parents, and moved to a new city every month (sometimes staying longer and sometimes repeating a point of destination).
For two years, we found short -term rents through Craigslist, Facebook groups and Airbnb. We lived in 10 cities, including Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Austin.
Now we’re back to Brooklyn. We are married and we have a daughter. However, the lessons we take from this adventure inspire how we live today.
We realized what really matters
I’ve always put emotional value on my belongings. It was difficult for me to give clothes that did not fit for me or did not get rid of books, letters and other memories. However, to easily travel throughout the country, each of us brought only one control bag and a transport suitcase.
We packed things like winter coats and family memories and left them with my husband’s parents. We donated, threw or sold our rest of our things.
Jen Glantz and her husband in Austin.
With the permission of Jen Glantz
It was hard to say goodbye at that moment. Occasionally, I still wished to take one or two clothing I gave or a pile of a birthday card I had thrown. But these feelings disappeared rapidly.
When we returned to Brooklyn to start a family, I became an ultra minimalist. I rarely bought new things and found myself cleaning the cabinets and drawers several times a month to make sure we didn’t keep things for any reason. The less crowded I do, the better I feel.
We had to shake our routines
Before we did this, we walked the same way from work every day, ate the same places in rotation, and ranged between two or three weeks.
But when we started living in new places, we didn’t have a chance to create routines. We were very enthusiastic to see more than we have never been walking or we did not take the same way to reach places, and he made a rule that we could not eat twice in any restaurants.
At first it was uncomfortable. But forced us Try new things from surfing to an appointment at a state fair.
Although it is now more difficult to apply on a daily basis, we create seasonal bucova lists of what we want to do in New York, plan a unique night of history every month and change our dinner points at the weekend.
We learned to live less
Although it may seem like a financial irresponsible decision to leave your home and travel all over the country, we actually accumulated money along the way. In New York, we were both paying for our separate living spaces. In addition, our monthly expenses included gym memberships, impulse purchases and more.
Jen Glanz and her husband in Chicago.
With the permission of Jen Glantz
When we traveled, we made less shopping. We didn’t have a place for new clothes or Knickknacks and we found low -cost rents.
We invested more money on the investment funds and the stock market, so when we finally returned to Brooklyn, otherwise we could get rent in a single bedroom apartment that would be out of our price range.
Until then, we were accustomed to living with less and we started to follow a budget that helps us to continue to save.
We really know each other (and ourselves) really well
During a year we decided to continue this adventure together, I only knew my husband. In a familiar city, we knew the version of the other, who has long routines.
We had to find ways to build our own lives in these new places. We take individual hobbies, go to our separate industrial events and plan a solo night every week, so we can go back and talk about the different experiences we have experienced.
This not only strengthens our relationship, but also deepened our sense of self. I started to feel more I Again, the person I’ve been before, working from 9 to 5 and I live again on the same day. It helped me find the adventure and embrace.
Even though we are happy in Brooklyn with our two -year -old daughter, it is something we will definitely do with her before it is 18 years old.
Jen Glantz founder Bridesmaid rentalauthor “Finally Bride: Everyone’s Corridor is walking while walking“and creator . Pick-up bulletin. Follow their adventures on Instagram @Genglantz.
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