The Story Of Our Stuff – Why We Moved Abroad With Eight Checked Bags

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Why we decided to sell everything we owned in the US. What we brought with us to Portugal. Would we do it again?

Looking back, the decision to move from the Pacific Northwest to Portugal was easy.  After years spent dreaming and talking, having a clear goal felt liberating. We had our north star: move our family of four to Portugal.

Every question or decision thereafter felt 10x harder. Every day felt like death by 1,000 decisions. Deciding what to bring with us, what to sell, what to donate, and what to put in storage became overwhelming.

Burn the Boats. Sell it All.

This approach isn’t for everyone. I’ll be the first to admit that I have an “all or nothing” mentality. I’m getting better at operating in the gray areas of life but leaving loose ends in the US while trying to live in Portugal did not appeal to me. More importantly, we felt pretty sure that we did not want to raise our boys in the United States. So, we would make a new home whether it be in Portugal or somewhere else.

Again, making a fundamental decision to SELL EVERYTHING was liberating. Knowing that we would only take what would fit in eight checked bags was freedom from having to make hundreds of micro-decisions each day. 

Curating The Story Of Our Lives.

I started by focusing on irreplaceable items like old photos, memorabilia from my and Mr. Scribbles’ childhood, and anything analog that couldn’t be easily replaced or reproduced. 

I purchased a couple of hard-sided rolling suitcases from Target and used those as receptacles for the irreplaceable treasures I would uncover. I cleared out every closet. I opened every box. 

What I rediscovered was beautiful – our lives. I don’t recommend rushing through this process. I started by putting all the irreplaceable items in one area and came back to them when I had the time and energy to really go through and sift through everything. 

I spent many long nights with Mr. Scribbles combing through piles of paperwork, photos, yearbooks, CD albums filled with “mix tapes”, and worn envelopes filled with letters from our childhood friends and dead family members. This process deserves your time. We were curating our lives and the memories that we’d take with us into this next chapter to share with our boys. 

In the end, we filled one large rolling suitcase with memorabilia and gave one large Rubbermaid container to a family member to throw in a closet. Most of what we brought with us to Portugal is in an airtight container, but it makes me happy to know that it’s here with us and safe. What we left with family in the US we will eventually retrieve during future visits. 

This process was the most time-consuming and rewarding. I think we spent at least 12-15 hours combing through the things of our life, sharing stories, and either lovingly packaging them for the journey or thanking them and letting them go.

The Rest.

After the irreplaceable items, everything else felt easy. I started selling things in November 2021, our dining room table was the first to go just before Thanksgiving and it went fast! In the end, it took five months to clear out our 2,800-square-foot home. Cars, motorcycles, electronics, furniture, kitchen gadgets, toys, artwork…it all found a new home.

The rest of our luggage contained:

• Clothing
• Toys and comfort items for the boys
• English children’s books
• Electronics and a few gadgets we use daily
• Personal care items needed for the first few months

Hindsight is 20/20.

Ugh! Looking back, we made the best decision we could’ve given the information, timelines, and logistics we were working with. BUT…

• Take care of your computer components! Mr. Scribbles purchased a soft-sided roller case and expanding foam for his computer tower and checked the whole thing. Bad idea. Instead, he recommends removing the critical components (hard drives, video cards, etc.), wrapping them securely, and carrying them on the plane in the cabin. The bag and expanding foam did little to protect the components and he ended up with a broken case and fan. 
• I wish we had shipped our bedroom furniture and couch. I can only say this NOW because we are in our flat and it is big enough to accommodate our things, however, we leased our flat without seeing it in person. Taking a chance on the furniture not fitting the space or arriving late felt like a nightmare scenario. It’s also OK that we didn’t ship our furniture because European apartments are generally much smaller, and I know that our furniture would not have worked in most apartments here. 
• Do not bring your kids’ off-season clothes if they are in a growth spurt. We brought my toddler’s winter clothes but he didn’t need them when we arrived in Portugal and he outgrew them before the next winter. So think about your kids’ current size, growth rate, and the weather when you land. And maybe grab the next size up in shoes and essential clothing if they are growing quickly. Figuring out where to buy quality clothing for the kids was a challenge. This a topic for another article.

Truly, I don’t have any regrets about the decisions we made about our stuff in the US. 

Our Houses.

Yep, we sold two houses too. That story is here, including the money-versus-peace-of-mind decision.

Luggage I Recommend.

We used a combination of soft-sided duffel bags, hard-sided roller bags and travel backpacks for the 2022 move. These are the bags we used or recommended at the time; models, dimensions, prices and availability can change. Check the listing and your airline’s actual size and weight allowances before buying.

 

SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Roller Luggage – Excellent quality, structured checked bag.

Amazon Basics 28-Inch Hardside Spinner – Great quality and versatility.

 

65L Foldable Travel Duffel Bag with Shoes Compartment – This bag has held up really well and we still use it for weekend trips.

 

Samsonite Tote-A-Ton 32.5-Inch Duffel Bag – This duffle is another great choice for clothing, shoes, and other soft items you need to shlep around. We’ve also put camping and beach gear in here for weekend trips.

If you are considering a move to Portugal and want to chat, send me a message here. 

Shipping, checking or carrying?

Before you pack electronics, check the FAA’s current battery-packing rules and your airline’s conditions. Protecting a computer and complying with battery rules are separate jobs.

For a smaller trip, read what we packed for a month in Europe. For the permanent move, see the documents we brought and get my free Moving-to-Portugal Checklist.

If deciding what to take is only one of a hundred questions on your list, book a €95, 60-minute call about the practical side of moving here.