Clearing out the Junk.

The itch that started out as idle daydreaming has become something of a bee in my bonnet. That buzz that just won't go away. What is it this time?

Wanderlust has struck once more.

That is, I woke up a few weeks ago and realised that I have now been living in the same city in Germany for longer than I have lived anywhere else in my entire life. What followed was a growing awareness of time slipping away and the nearing of my good self shuffling off that mortal coil (dramatic?), and here I am - thinking of moving on.

That is all for another entry, but it got me thinking about the logistics and the cost of such an endeavour. Sure, work hard and spend less and put those savings into some little account or piggy bank...

But them I looked around my apartment, which is way too big for me, and at all the "stuff" I own. "Stuff" is the best word for it, because most of it adds absolutely no value to my life. The vast majority hasn't even been touched in years.

And then the light bulb moment. The equation was simple enough for even a mathematically challenged idiot like me, or if I want to be politically correct about it all, my longstanding dyscalculia. Great word, and it makes me feel less stupid, but I still prefer number-craptastic.

Here was my amazing equation that would make even Einstein nod in agreement.

Albie Onestone - Poster child for Dyscalculia.

Sell junk + work harder = removing useless stuff from my life + more cash for travelling.

Okay. So it's not exactly a new unified theory of quantum mechanics, but it'll do the job.

Turns out, after looking around my apartment, that I have quite a bit of value tied up in stuff I don't need or even use. Do I need four guitars? That electronic drum set that I never play? About three computers plus tablet? Five winter coats? Two TVs? 500+ books? Stupid memorabilia that collectors love? Home gym equipment? Of course not.

So, my mission this month is to find ways to offload all of this (next to all of it) by the end of the summer. Because I have one image in my head that has never left me - when I was in my twenties I could carry everything that I owned. It was a struggle, and I'm cheating a bit with a couple of boxes of books in storage with family, but I really could do it.

I'm looking in the usual places: ebay for almost anything, chrono24 for watches, catawiki for some limited edition prints, Vinted for clothes, and a great app called Momox for books, CDs and DVDs (yes, I still use them).

Some of my finer offerings.

I counted up what I see similar items to mine selling for, and even if I get half of that, my travels will be financially more comfortable than I have ever experienced before - I once arrived in Madeira with the vague promise of work and an apartment with about 200 pounds in my wallet. Not a great idea.

So, the inverse bargain hunt is on. Instead of looking for cheap stuff to buy, I'm looking to sell stuff for as much as possible.

Any tips on good markets would be greatly appreciated.