My husband and I left NYC for two years, ditched 90% of our stuff, and lived in 10 cities

When my boyfriend requested to maneuver in with me in 2017, I stated no. We might been relationship for a 12 months, and each of our New York Metropolis leases had been about to run out. We might save a lot cash if we lived in only one place, he stated. However I panicked. 

Our lives felt so boring. We had been on monitor to observe the normal relationship playbook. Subsequent we might get married, then we might have children, and earlier than we knew it, our iron-clad routines would information us straight to a retirement house.

As an alternative, I argued, we must always do one thing completely different. We offered 90% of our belongings, saved the remainder in his dad and mom’ basement, and moved to a brand new metropolis each month (generally staying longer and sometimes repeating a vacation spot).

For 2 years, we discovered short-term leases by way of Craigslist, Fb teams, and Airbnb. We lived in 10 cities complete, together with Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and Austin. 

Now we’re again in Brooklyn. We’re married and have a daughter. However the classes we took from this journey nonetheless encourage how we stay at present. 

I all the time positioned sentimental worth on my stuff. It was exhausting for me to provide away garments that not match or do away with books, letters, and different keepsakes. However as a way to journey across the nation simply, we every introduced only one checked bag and one carry-on suitcase.

We packed up gadgets like winter coats and household memorabilia and left them with my husband’s dad and mom. The remainder of our stuff we donated, tossed, or offered. 

It was exhausting within the second to say goodbye to a lot. From time to time, I wanted I nonetheless had an merchandise or two of clothes that I gave away or a stack of birthday playing cards I would tossed. However these emotions pale quick.

After we moved again to Brooklyn to start out a household, I turned an ultra-minimalist. I hardly ever purchased new issues and located myself cleansing out closets and drawers a number of occasions a month to ensure we weren’t holding on to issues for no cause. The much less stuff I crowd my area with, the higher I really feel.

Earlier than we did this, we walked the identical path house day by day from work, ate on the similar locations on rotation, and alternated between two or three weekend actions. 

However after we began residing in new locations, we did not have an opportunity to type routines. We had been so wanting to see as a lot as we may that we purposely by no means walked or drove the identical path to get to locations, and we made a rule that we could not eat at any restaurant greater than twice. 

At first, it was uncomfortable. However it compelled us to strive new issues, from browsing to occurring a date at a state honest. 

Whereas that is more durable to implement each day now, we create seasonal bucket lists of issues we wish to do in New York Metropolis, plan a singular date night time each month, and swap up our weekend dinner spots. 

Whereas it’d look like a financially irresponsible determination to ditch your private home and journey everywhere in the nation, we really saved cash alongside the way in which. In New York, we had been each paying for our separate residing areas. Plus, our month-to-month bills included fitness center memberships, impulse buys, and extra. 

After we traveled, we shopped much less. We did not have area for brand spanking new clothes or knickknacks, and located low-cost leases that we shared.

We invested extra money in mutual funds and within the inventory market in order that after we lastly moved again to Brooklyn, we had been capable of afford lease on a one-bedroom condo that in any other case would’ve been out of our value vary. 

By that point, we had been used to residing with much less, and we began following a funds that helped us proceed to save lots of.

I had solely identified my now-husband for a 12 months after we determined to go on this journey collectively. We every knew the model of the opposite that had longstanding routines in a well-known metropolis. 

As soon as we began shifting round, we bought to know completely different sides of one another. For the primary time, we handled the stress and challenges of navigating a brand new metropolis, determining the place to stay, and never realizing anyone else there.

We needed to discover methods to construct our personal lives in these new locations. We might take up particular person hobbies, go to our separate trade occasions, and plan one solo night time out every week in order that we may come again and speak concerning the completely different experiences we had.

Not solely did this make our relationship stronger, nevertheless it additionally deepened our sense of self. I began to really feel extra like me once more, the individual I used to be earlier than I bought misplaced in working my 9-to-5 and residing the identical day time and again. It helped me discover and embrace journey. 

Despite the fact that we’re completely happy in Brooklyn with our two-year-old daughter, that is one thing we’ll undoubtedly do once more along with her earlier than she turns 18. 

Jen Glantz is the founding father of Bridesmaid for Rent, the writer of “Lastly the Bride: Discovering Love after Strolling down Everybody Else’s Aisle,” and the creator of The Decide-Me-Up publication. Comply with her adventures on Instagram @jenglantz.

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