Today I started packing away the things we won’t need between now and leaving for Japan. It will seem odd to see empty spaces where our things have always been but the job will be much easier if I do it a little at a time. I emptied the china cabinet today as there was nothing in there that I can’t get along without. I also cleared out a cabinet in the livingroom. It didn’t take long for me to begin to realize how much stuff we have and how much work it’s going to be to pack it all up! We really are a society that thrives on excess. Perhaps learning to live in a much smaller space with much less stuff will be a valuable exercise for Richard and I.