It’s pretty amazing how much minimalism has blown up on the internet recently. It’s as if everyone is looking for a way to decrease the amount of “stuff” they have, and increase the experiences they’ve always wanted. I personally love the idea.

To simply rid of all that isn’t a basic necessity seems refreshing to me. Why do I keep a drawer filled with pens, pencils, paperclips, and miniature trinkets? I’ve been racking my brain trying to answer such a simple question — but I can’t. There is no reason for most of them items in my household.

However, a recent change to my situation has made me consider these reasons, and forced me to go through my closet several times over, eliminating clothing I haven’t worn in years.

But, what is that change you ask?

I’m moving.

In just 3 short days, my husband and I will be packing up our lives (which have always been in Calgary) and shipping ourselves 7 hours up north to a city called Fort McMurray.

Some of you may have heard of Fort Mac (get used to the abbreviated version) because of the devastating forest fire that occurred just last year, and others may not have.

To be honest, to most people it’s known as an oil town where rig workers live, celebrities go to complain about how awful Albertans are, and nothing more. But I can now tell you from my own experiences that its far from just that. It’s beautiful.

Although this new city we will soon call home has a much higher cost of living, we plan to significantly increase our income and savings while away. By moving into a smaller furnished one-bedroom apartment we are able to keep our fixed costs the exact same as they currently stand. A furnished place means less to transport, and an opportunity to finally get rid of most of our belongings that we’ve been lugging around each move we’ve made in the past 5 years.

We are also going down to a one-vehicle home. In other words, we’re changing our lifestyle — a lot.

Why on earth are we leaving our safe haven and home town?

Here is where the exciting part comes in.

My husband scored a job he’s been dreaming of tackling for the last 10 years — head coaching college volleyball.

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions since we found out the news earlier this year, but now that things are starting to come together and changes are starting to happen, we can finally tell the world.

The timing is perfect for us to explore new opportunities and challenge ourselves with new environments, people, and hobbies. Although it’s going to be extremely difficult to be a 7-hour drive from our family and friends, we are also grateful that it is only 7-hours. I will still be back in Calgary quite often for work events, to visit my niece, and to spend time with loved ones — but it won’t be as often as I’d like.

However, I’m thrilled to support this dream and change my surroundings.

But, what am I going to do?

Lucky for me, my current company has an office up in Fort McMurray and have been extremely supportive in allowing me to transfer. And don’t worry, I’ll still be blogging. Probably more, since there is a little bit less to do there than here in Calgary.

I’ll also only be gone for a few years, upon which we will move back to Calgary, and hopefully buy a home sticking with our families permanently. However, let’s not make any promises, because life is too wild and rambunctious to follow any sort of plans I try to make.

Hello Minimalism!

So far, we’ve gotten rid of a ton of stuff, including:

• 4 garbage bags of clothes

• A coffee table

• Two kitchen tables and chairs

• Office desk

• Two bookshelves

• A couch

• Patio furniture

• Our bed-frame

• Wedding supplies

• Extra or mismatched kitchen utensils, dishware, and cutlery

• 3 Bags of trinkets and stationary

• 1 bag of expired toiletries or medicines

• 1 box of books and magazines

• and more…

It feels as though a weight has been lifted. Holding onto old items and trying to find the perfect spot for them has always been a challenge as renters.

Needless to say, this move has put many things into perspective. Not only have we had to have tough conversations about our budgeting needs, personal items, and current lifestyle, we’ve also had to make several pros and cons lists to ensure that we were making the right decision.

Making a move was not an option unless we would be able to increase our quality of life, further push towards our financial goals, and provide us with good work experience. All of which are possible to accomplish while moving to a new city. It pays to be patient, be open to anything, and to be bold.

Goodbye Calgary. I’ll see you sooner than you know it.

Have you ever made a big move for a career change? Let me know in the comments!