Traveling & A Clothes Purge

Hey there!

So, I know that there haven't been many actual "travel" posts recently. I just want to say that the travel is coming. If things work out the way I want them to, then April, May & June are going to be something of a whirlwind. Yippee! In the meantime, indulge me while I write some "travel related" posts.

Maybe it's a Caribbean mother thing, but my mother never allowed guests to see her home looking a shambles. I have inherited that, so it is even shocking to me that I am revealing what my closet and bedroom looked like when I did some spring cleaning and clothing purge last year.

EEK!!! My bed eventually did recover.

I just want to say that I feel as if I've grown as a person by showing this picture. :)

While I was aggressively performing my twice per year clothing purge, I finally decided to let go of some items of clothing that I'd been holding on to. Many of them reminded me of travels that I've taken or were bought while I was away.

Although the pic doesn't really show it, this is a black corduroy blazer that I picked up in South Africa. I arrived in Cape Town in late August, which is the end of winter/beginning of spring there. It was cold. Yes, South Africa is on the African continent, but it can get VERY cold. I was wearing a coat for my first month there. I bought this at a cute boutique a few blocks away from my internship's office. I think the women who owned the store loved me because I would drop money when I went (more like the equivalent of $20 or $30 USD, but at the time that was a lot of rand). It was nice being a student with access to US dollars when the rand (South African currency) was trading at $10USD to $1R. For a variety of reasons, I did a lot of retail therapy when I was in South Africa (breaking up with someone half way around the world deserves a shopping trip or three).

Status: At the Salvation Army. Hopefully someone bought it.

Until recently, these Merrell walking shoes were the only real outdoorsy gear I owned. I now forget when I actually bought them. Husband J grew up being very outdoorsy, so he gets a little excited when I buy outdoorsy things and resemble an L.L. Bean catalog model. I used these quite a bit during our trip to Turkey. These will get a lot of use this year.

Status: At the bottom of the closet, rearing to go.

I bought this shirt in a souk in Morocco. I obviously had much shorter hair then because I often don't wear this shirt because the sequins catch my hair. I'm always having to pull my hair from out of the sequins. I think I bought this and a longer dress-like thing for my Mom. She still wears hers.

Status: Not sure. It's probably gone to the Salvation Army.

I usually buy clothing and shoes with the intention of wearing them. What was I thinking even buying these? I love a nice, sexy shoe but I can't believe how high shoes are these days (Yes, I am an old lady). I can't wear this. I wore them for a little while during my trip to Las Vegas. I figured that I could look scandalous there, and it would be okay. I've never worn these again. They are so uncomfortable. I feel awful because it was a wasteful purchase, but I hope they get new life on someone else's feet.

Status: Salvation Army or on someone else's feet

I got this green pullover the first and only time I've been to Martha's Vineyard. Menemsha is a smaller fishing village on the island that doesn't get as many visitors as Oak Bluffs, Edgartown or the other more touristy summer towns. Husband J and I drove out there and enjoyed how quiet it was compared to the rest of the island.

Status: Still in the closet. I like this shade of green

By the end of the afternoon, my closet looked normal again.

I've always had my own closet since living with Husband J. I am convinced it is the key to a happy marriage. ;)

Do you have any clothes, shoes or other garments in your closet that remind of you places you've been or shopping you've done there?