In this post, I talk about selling, packing and giving away my belongings, and how hiking Diamond Hill in Ireland helped put this seemingly mountainous task in perspective.
I had made a strong start on planning for The Cold Plunge by organising flights to Canada and Dublin, but still I felt frozen in my trip preparation. The thought of selling everything to go travelling was overwhelming.
One day I pulled all the items out from under my bed that I wanted to sell. I knew where to start- take photos and list the items on Facebook Marketplace. I was also planning to take it all to a local car boot sale. But still it didn’t feel like enough. The task felt insurmountable.
I started by taking some photos of the costume items I wanted to sell. After a short time, I was surprised to find myself felt mentally and emotionally zapped, so much so I didn’t list the items on Marketplace straight away. I didn’t have the drive to do anything else that afternoon. All I wanted to do was walk on the beach, which I did.
I had had some of the costuming items for more than ten years, since my early days of circus performing. I held onto them in the hope I would use them again post-pandemic, but it didn’t happen. I didn’t feel like it was the right time to be rebooting my career as a hula hoop performer. To be making connections that I would only cut ties with once I left on my trip to Canada and Ireland.
It felt surreal listing my costumes for sale. Letting them go felt like I was letting go of the vision I had for performing, combining hula hoop and aerial hoop in themed performances. I knew they were just pieces of clothing, and it didn’t mean I’d never perform professionally again. But it did feel like the end of an era in my life.
The amount of belongings I wanted to sell was relatively small, yet broken down item by item, the task still it felt like a mountain to climb. This task reminded me of hiking Diamond Hill in Connemara National Park, Galway, Ireland.
Diamond Hill, or Bengooria, is an isolated peak overlooking the village of Letterfrack, in the northwest corner of the Twelve Bens. Standing at 442 meters high it is technically considered a large hill. When I climbed it on my last trip in 2017, it certainly felt like a mountain.
There were so many things on my to-do list for The Cold Plunge. Things I hadn’t had to consider before in my entire life. Like selling a car. Choosing travel insurance for long-term travel, and a sim card/phone plan for Canada (more complex than you think).
Then there was the medical check-list, requiring multiple appointments and unexpected follow-ups. I had in mind a few simple shots and procedures- a mole check, a pap smear and IUD insertion. The doctor recommended a flu shot, measles and COVID boosters. My timing for the IUD wasn’t great- you’re supposed to have a check-up a month after the procedure. I didn’t account for follow-ups and waiting periods.
A blood test also revealed my iron levels were non-existent, and my doctor recommended me for an iron injection. This would require a follow-up in a few months time, when I would already be travelling.
The days and weeks pressed on and the to-do list was never ending, its urgency never easing. I felt rushed and under pressure. I was sleep deprived because of the stress. I just couldn’t feel good about the trip. I didn’t feel like I had time to do everything I needed to do before I left. I was so caught up in the administrational side of preparation- applying for visas, finding travel insurance, selling stuff- and none of that was inspiring at all. I didn’t feel I had the mental energy to dream and plan, but in hindsight, I’m sure that would have given me the energy and inspiration to do the mundane things.
There was a mountain to climb between me and my working holiday in Ireland. A mountain of belongings to pack, sell and give away. In a moment of clarity, I decided to think of this task like hiking Diamond Hill. The task felt like a mountain at the time- the height and the hundreds of steps required to reach the top. Just when I thought I’d gotten close, there were more steps to take.
I eventually listed all of my costumes and a few novelty lamps on Marketplace. I had no idea if any of it would sell, or if I’d be taking it all to the op shop before I left. Selling my car was my main concern. Everything else I could give away if I had to. My 13 year old car was mechanically sound but looking a bit tired externally, and I was concerned it wouldn’t sell. But it did.
At the time, packing and selling up my life felt like a mountain. Each step was tiring. But in retrospect, it was a hill. That hill was a bedroom worth of belongings, a car and a to-do list with lots of ticks. (I actually ended up losing the to-do list before I could throw it away- I think this was the Universe telling me to chill out).
After just two months of concentrated effort, I reached the top of my own personal Diamond Hill.
Kate Kelsen 