I’m moving.

Well, soon. In a few months, I’ll be in totally foreign place for the first time in my life.

It’s a time of pure chaos, endless wondering about my career, and telling myself I’m too busy to do anything.

And yet, I still have the time to be shopping for what… things I’m going to need.

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First, I’ll need an apartment or a house. It’ll have to be pretty big and the square footage can’t be too low. I’ll need space to… well, I need extra space.

I’ll need a bed. After that, I’ll make sure to get a couple end tables, a lamp for each end table, and an alarm clock. I need a dresser, too. And a matching mirror.

I need a shower curtain and one of those inside shower curtains and a shower brush and a few towels and a toothbrush holder. I need a bathroom mat and a few bottles of cleaning supplies.

For the kitchen, I need to buy a toaster. I need a blender and a microwave, too. Some cups and bowls. Plates. How many bowls and plates do I need? Should I get white cups or clear cups?

Do I need to buy extra spoons or just enough? What about knives? A set?

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I need a stand for the TV I still need to buy and I need a couch and a matching chair for over there. I can’t forget the ottoman and the love seat for the corner and a separate ottoman for the loveseat.

I need a lamp for that wall and another one just in case.

A coat rack for the entryway. I’m gonna need a hall table and drying towels and extra blankets and light bulbs, a toolkit, bookshelf, scissors, pens, and a printer. I need curtains and while I’m at it, I’ll get a new phone case.

I almost forgot the cookie sheets for the kitchen. I also need a rug for the living room and a dining table. Another dining table for that extra space in the kitchen. Placemats, too.

I need to overstock on hangers because I need to buy more clothes. I’ll need a new jacket and a hoodie and a few thermal shirts and another jacket for the rain and two beanies and a pair of good boots.

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But it still doesn’t feel like “me.” I need decorations to make it feel my place, nobody else’s. It has to represent me. But wait a second, what is “me”? And how can I accurately portray that through the decor of my home?

I’m clean with my spaces but my thoughts can be a bit crazy. What wall decorations do I need to buy? Do I need a sculpture to express that I’m solid in my foundations? Which inspirational quotes need to go on the walls? Are they a projection of what I am? If I buy generic ones from Walmart, am I a “Walmart shopper”? What does this say about my class?

Which lampshades accurately show that I’m a witty and intelligent rebel? Am I a witty and intelligent rebel? Does the color of the carpet effectively demonstrate my ability to creatively solve problems? Do I creatively solve problems? If the color doesn’t agree, am I lying to myself?

What about black or brown couches? I’m a bit dark in my humor but I’m definitely not severely dark in my thoughts. Does black make me seem too dark? Does brown make me seem out-of-date? What about red? Which color portrays my best intentions?

Is the pattern on my phone case really a representation of who I am? Do the blankets I buy embody my personality?

Is the square footage of my apartment the yardstick used to measure the “square footage” of my impact on the world?

And what about those curtains? Do they represent my greatest traits? Does the size of my TV align with the size of my character? Is the thread count of my sheets the number that measures how far I’ll go in life?

And is the difference between my iPhone and the newest iPhone the same difference between an old outdated me and a newer, more desirable me? Does my cracked screen mean I’m brittle and weak?

Am I less desirable because I own an older product?

Is the inexpensive framing on the window a box that defines my limits? Does the number of bedrooms in my home determine the number of times I’ll do something amazing?

Does the stitching on the leather seating measure my emotional strength? Is the brand of clothing on my back an advertisement of how I behave? If I go for the cheaper option, am I as a person now… cheaper?

Is the structural soundness of the building I live in a portrayal of the structural soundness of my mind? Am I what I own? Is the logo on my car a logo I accept will be used to judge me for my value? Does the shine of my shoes affect the warmth of my smile?

Am I what I own?

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I almost forgot something I need. I can’t forget… wait, what else do I need?
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This is a piece to demonstrate the undeniable value of minimalism. I believe the process of buying things is rarely done with thought. We buy things without questioning. We buy two couches because we buy a house that requires two couches to fill, when in reality, we only need one couch and a space large enough for one couch.

I encourage everyone to go through every last item in their home and ask the question “Do I need you?”