I’ll be on this road trip for an extended period of time, so I ordered a Upack Pod to transport my stuff to NY and place it into storage.

The Pod is a 6′ x 7′ container standing 8′ high. If you happen to be doing the calculations, the interior space is 305 cubic square feet. You need to strategically place everything into the Pod as if you’re playing a real-life game of Tetris.

Yesterday, the movers showed up and evaluated my things. They were very concerned about the stuff not fitting into the Pod. They suggested I prioritize what I want to take and what I can leave behind.

As I looked around my 525 sq ft apartment, I had a hard time prioritizing. My writing desk and convertible couch were high on the list. But the tangible pieces that connect me to who I am…the awkward photos from my childhood, my confused thoughts are written down in hundreds of journal pages…special gifts from loved ones. Those are the items I can’t live without.

As the hour went on, the movers stacked the boxes high up to the ceiling. And with Jay’s coaching, they got my entire apartment into the Pod.

When the guys were done, one of them said that in the three years he has worked for the company, he’s never loaded a pod. He has only unloaded pods.

It seems like it was a mutually beneficial experience. The guys learned a new skill. I learned how to appreciate the things that matter.

Traveling on the road will have a set of challenges. Each moment will be different than the last. There will be good days and not-so-good ones. But in the end, I’ll gain new memories that will amount to two or three Pods.

The movers, my Pod, and my memories stuffed inside.