I lived in Finland for a year during college. I was an architecure student and studied in the school where Alvar Aalto once taught. While I was there, I worked really hard on building architectural models of my designs. But when it was time to return to the States that summer, one sad fact loomed over me:
I couldn't take the models home with me. Had I not been a poor student at the time, I would have paid to ship them home. But the expense was too great and my luggage was too small. So do you know what I did? I cleaned up my room when it was time to move out (I had a bedroom of my own in an on-campus apartment I shared with two MALE Finnish students - not sure how that happened!). When all was completely empty, I took the models and set them up on the desk in "my" bedroom, hoping the new occupant would appreciate them. Most likely they moved in and tossed them in the garbage, but this approach saved me from the heartbreak of doing it and I can always dream that the new occupant being delighted with the gift.
Have you had to leave behind a loved item in your travels? What have you not been able to take home with you?
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Suggestion - consider donating it to a local college or high school. Teachers are always looking for examples to show aspiring students. Be sure to document the work in other ways like photography for your portfolio first, though!
With furniture and household items, VOA or Goodwill are always an option to feel good about.
I am sure the next occupant appreciated them! I go through phases of keeping all of my traces, drawings and specs and then I purge. I cannot seem to find a good balance. However, for me, I am always losing my current "favorite" piece of clothing. Ah, as your title suggests "you can't take it with you".
Getting rid of stuff does not come naturally to me, but I have developed a method that works for me. For any item, I ask the question: would I replace this item if I lost everything in a fire/flood/tsunami/tornado etc? If the answer is no, I get rid of it.
Of course, some things are irreplaceable because of sentiment or uniqueness (like the architectural models). In that case, I try to figure out just how devastated I would be if I lost them to flood/fire/tsunami/tornado etc. That helps me figure out what to do with them.
I guess that's what the elderly lady who sold my parents her old house was doing when she left her very old furnishings in the basement. I was a kid and found them magical and mysterious, never having lived with similar things. I don't know whether any of it was valuable antiques. My parents saw only junk, and discarded it. Specialized, unusual items would be appreciated more by an aficionado than whoever happens to move in after you.
I lived in Germany for six months with my 2 young children. When it was time to pack, we brought their new toys, but I left behind all the books, including travel books. I had been working at a Max Planck Institute, and I quietly slipped them onto a shelf in the office area.
But my big question is how are architectural models built? My 12 yr old daughter has a strong interest in architecture, wants to build models, but I cannot find useful instructions (e.g. what materials? how to get started?).
@Dulcibella - I like that. I need that. I'm going to try that. Thank you.
@lazy_lurker, Books, balsa wood pieces, and specialized razor knives are sold in hobbies and arts and crafts stores. Quiz her on knife safety before letting her start. Maybe she'd also like working with some architectural planners sold in computer stores.
Your situation was a bit different, as it was a dorm, but please, never ever leave your crap for the new owners in a house you are moving out of. Unless you've arranged to do so ahead of time, it's a huge, huge pain to not only move in your own stuff but get rid of the old owner's junk as well. It's very rare that the new people appreciate your stuff as much as you do. -Signed, the girl who has moved 18 times in her 27 years
That said, I've always found trashing my models at the end of a semester very cathartic :)
Now-a-days you could probably just sell your models on Ebay or Etsy. That way they go to someone who will appreciate them, they pay for the postage, and you have a bit of spending money to boot.
Like catiaelizabeth, I have been known to play Godzilla with some of my models ;)
I think I would have just photographed the hell out of them, acknowledged the situation sucked and then thrown them out. It's a small price to pay for the privilege of working on Aalto's home turf!
I had the same problem with all of my models from school. Luckily my parent's house was within driving distance. They now grace the shelves of the den closet.
I studied in Osaka for a year & found a beautiful wooden vanity in the trash. Had to put it back in the trash, sadly.
Years later, I was working near Tokyo and had a wonderful antique dresser (not sure if it was Japanese or Korean) made of a light, soft wood with lovely drawer pulls. I gave it to a second hand shop. Is it weird to miss inanimate objects 8 years down the line? (I've also tossed / given away a lot of pottery)