The Countdown

The first day of autumn marks the start of a countdown that ends on the day I board my plane.
Notable events during the countdown -

•  Day -44, Labour Day (public holiday)
•  Day -40, give notice of intention to vacate my flat;
•  Day -39, start sorting my stuff - what to keep, what to toss;
•  Day -37, start acquiring any needful visas;
•  Day -31, Equinox;
•  Day -24, Daylight Saving ends in Victoria and starts in Turkey;
•  Day -22, last full moon in Australia (I'll be in Bodrum for the next one);
•  Day -21, LAST DAY OF WORK;
•  Day -20, April Fool's Day - start packing in earnest;
•  Day -19, Good Friday (public holiday);
•  Day -16, Easter Monday (public holiday);
•  Day -17, delivery of miniskip for any junk (may not be required);
•  Day -13, miniskip pickup, send most of my stuff to storage;
•  Day -12, carpet steam cleaning (do this in good time);
•  Day -7, vacate flat, last stuff to storage, book into backpackers;
•  Day -6 to -1, last errands and say my goodbyes;
•  Day 0, Departure!

Packing is a process I've gone through before.  It involves deciding what's worth packing (to keep) and what is better discarded and replaced when I return.

Last time I threw out practically all my furniture (bed, couch, desk, etc) because it was worn out.  This time a lot of my furniture has to be crammed into storage as it's still nearly new.  However, the TV and its stand will go out; they are too big and I no longer watch much TV.  I can buy a smaller digital setup when I return: my next flat wll be smaller than this one.  The stereo is overdue for the junkyard too.  The heater and fan will be gifts for friends (once I know I'll no longer need the fan).  Washer, dryer and fridge will go out (not worth trying to sell).

In late March I will perform triage on my books and discard several hundred (I own several thousand), packing the rest into the same cardboard boxes they occupied during my last long trip.  My bookcases and shelves are nearly all kitsets - I will reduce them to compact stacks of boards and tubes for storage.  My video collection - time to deep six it.  I have several boxes of plastic and electrical brick-a-brack - to the curb they go.

I'll toss out a couple of sets of drawers that I originally salvaged from the roadside and which are overdue to be returned thence; time I had some new ones.  My old desktop computer will go to the curbside too (ten years old and not worth trying to sell second hand; I'll industrial-wipe the hard drive first).  Most of my clothes will also go in the trash this time - I have accepted that I will never wear most of them again.

Once my stuff goes to storage I'll have a few days in hand.  I will use that time to print bits and pieces and finish any last minute internet planning on my laptop (which will go to storage on my last day in Melbourne).  I have an air bed to sleep on that can be rolled up and taken to storage when I vacate the flat.  Since I'm throwing the fridge out, I'll have cold storage up until the end, so as I carry plastic plates and utensils with me the flat will be habitable until the end.

My last week in Melbourne will be spent in a backpacker hostel getting myself back into travel mode and saying goodbye to Melbourne and my friends.