Towels

Sometimes I wonder about all the boxes we have in storage somewhere in a warehouse in the Chicago area. We have many, many boxes in storage, packed up years ago now. What is all that stuff? I've thought about the day that I begin to open those boxes and what I'll find. I have a feeling that I'll feel a little silly that I even saved some of those items.

Tonight as I hung our bath towels, still warm from the dryer, on the the towel bar in the bathroom, I thought again about the stuff in storage. I know there are bath towels in storage. I know because I didn't bring a single one here. I purchased a towel a piece for us once we got here. Scott and I have used the same two IKEA bath towels since our first week in Shanghai. Part of the reason I only bought us each one towel was for the simple fact that we have really limited storage here. Actually, no storage. No linen closet, no pantry, no coat closet, etc. But really, how many towels can you use at a time? One has turned out to be plenty, and it's kind of nice to be streamlined in this way.

However, having only one towel causes the towel to wear out more quickly. As I hung the towels tonight, I noticed little signs of wear. A few random bleach spots, a bit of fraying. It relieved me in a way. I will have good reason to dispense with these towels when we leave. I have decided that when we move from Shanghai, we will not be taking our towels with us. Why should we? They will have been used literally daily, aside from vacations, for five years. I think they will have served their purpose.

Besides, I have all those lovely old towels in my storage boxes. Maybe those will go on their way as well... I think I might plan a bath towel shopping trip now, for the Summer 2012. :-)