December 2025 – Now it has been six years since the “last Christmas” which I then packed away into my new storage unit. SIX YEARS! And I’m still going.
MARCH 3, 2024
It has been four years with my life in storage, in a 10×10 aluminum facility. Never dreamed when I got my empty unit mid-divorce Dec. 2019, and left the country Feb. 2020, that a pandemic was coming and I’d never go back to my family home again.
https://secondchapternomad.blog/2023/02/21/quarantine-chronicles-part-1/ (Here’s the start of 9 parts of Quarantine Chronicles from 2020).
Storage as Lifestyle
My life in storage has become a lifestyle. I became a nomad at first by default, and now by choice.
I posted a reel on TikTok and Instagram giving a visual of my storage unit which seemed to resonate with a lot of viewers.
Securing the storage space was an important step in my divorce process. It was scary. It was a tangible symbol of the collapse of my marriage and the family home (of twenty years). I alternated between crying when I visited the unit, to breathing a sigh of relief with every object that I placed inside and closed and locked that door.
(and my babies’ footprints above)
Life in Storage – The Nuts and Bolts
My retired engineer dad built shelving units on two sides, and even a closet rod on one wall. I now visit my unit, which is partially a museum of “This is your Life” full of nostalgia and memorabilia, and essentially a walk-in closet.
With a life in storage, I pack and unpack seasonally, and for various trips. Living out of suitcases, I keep organized bags specific to region, climate and activity (i.e. tropical, winter, city, country, adventure, professional events).
Books
I’m a book lover, but only keep ones that I’ve read and want to look at on the shelf. Many others I leave along the road, to share with other readers.
Use it or Lose it
I now have a “use it or lose it” mentality, especially with clothes and shoes. I’ll grab a bag or two each visit and either wear them or donate. They don’t go back into the storage unit unless they are favorites awaiting the next season or destination. Let’s not even speak of how many clothes don’t fit anymore. Bye bye. No keeping them “just in case” they’ll fit again in the future. This isn’t the time for optimism, but a good dose of realism.
Inventory
The unit was becoming cluttered and overwhelming. I spent a few days buried inside recently, inventorying every single box and item. I made a numbered sheet listing everything. Now I refer to this list instead of haphazardly digging through boxes.
I left all of the furniture and other items in my family home (which my Ex kept). They were of no use to me at this stage and just reminders of a life that no longer exists. As a writer/journal keeper/documenter of my life, I have way too many things I can’t let go of. A majority of the photo journals and children’s scrapbooks I created are still in the family home closets. I don’t have space for them at the moment, but it has also been a point of contention with my Ex as he doesn’t want them removed until they’re digitally scanned (an impossible task). This has been the most difficult part of the divorce of possessions. (Not to be confused with the lifelong emotional ramifications of divorce, and the end of a family of four).
“Home”
I still get some anxiety visiting my storage unit, and slight panic if I’ll ever have a “home” again. But the benefits still outweigh the negatives in that when I walk out of that facility, I am free, untethered, and ready to fly.
After another massive purge, organize, repack, I locked the storage unit, double checked it was secure, and confidently drove to the airport. London bound. Another adventure awaits.
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