In six days I'll be moving to China to train in Mantis Kung Fu full-time. Most of the time I'll be at the Kunyu Mountain training center in Shandong but I'll also be spending some time training at the Buddhist Temple in Henan when it gets warmer in the year. [Edit 12/19/13: The Henan Temple is the sister school to Kunyu Shan, so we have several students here who have studied Kung Fu at both, and I've since learned that the Henan Temple does not offer training in Mantis. Therefore, I will be remaining at Kunyu Shan for the full year of training.] The plan is to train for one year although I may leave after only six months if I don't enjoy it as much as I expect, I get bored with it, I decide that I want to travel elsewhere, or if I'm just feeling mercurial and undisciplined.
I've stored away what few possessions I'm keeping (much of it SCA-related stuff) and will bring only what I can fit into one small suitcase and a backpack. If things don't fit in those two then I have too much and have to get rid of something. I hate being constrained by possessions. One of the things about moving that I enjoy is discarding a large percentage of what I own. People tend to accumulate much more than they need and I can be guilty of that as well, perhaps less guilty than most. I don't like keeping anything that would be retained for any of the following reasons.
1. I might use it again one day. This is often the case with old clothes that one "might wear again one day" although it applies to much more than clothing. If you haven't used it in the past year, you're probably not going to use it again. Get rid of it.
2. It'll be worth something one day. If it's worth something now, sell it. If it's not worth something now, it probably won't be later.
3. It has sentimental value. I agree with holding a limited number of stuff with sentimental value. Most people, however, take this too far. In my case I just have old photos and a single file folder with some old letters and such.
I have found those to be three commonly presented reasons that packrats give to retain unecessary possessions. Some people find comfort in having a lot of stuff; a neurotic hoarder would be an extreme example. I don't think it's intrinsically unhealthy in lesser forms, but it's certainly not for me as I find a great sense of freedom in not being burdened by possessions.
