Letting Go (Pt. 2): Clearing Space for What’s Next
Making room for what really matters
After the failed garage sale, we knew we had to shift gears.
No more waiting for people to show up—we had to meet them where they already were.
So we turned to the apps.
And we went full hustle mode.
Facebook Marketplace
This was our most successful platform by far—and we couldn’t have done it without Anita’s sister Grace.
She flew in to help one of the final weekends we lived in our house and went into full operations mode.
Photos. Measurements. Listings. Negotiations.
It was like watching a one-woman resale agency in action.
In just a few days, we sold over $1,000 worth of furniture and decor.
Couches. Coffee tables. Rugs. Art.
All gone. One Venmo at a time.
eBay
This one was my domain.
Back in college, I used to flip garage sale finds on eBay. Now, it came full circle.
I listed everything I thought might sell: board games, puzzles, video games, collectibles.
Over $1,000 in sales later, it felt like a second job—but a satisfying one.
Whatever didn’t sell went to the used bookstore, into a donation bin, or into the arms of friends.
Goodwill
Let’s just say: if donation trips earned reward points, we’d be platinum members.
We lost count after the tenth drop-off.
Every carload was stacked to the roof.
Decor. Clothes. Books. Kitchen gadgets. Holiday stuff.
All the bits and pieces of life that accumulate without you realizing it—until you're staring down a deadline and wondering how did we ever need all this?
Friends & Family
This was the most meaningful part of the whole purge.
Anita hosted a dinner party where her friends took home their favorite decorations.
We gave away books, games, and decor that had hung on our walls for years.
My family took a few things we knew we’d want back eventually—keepsakes, heirlooms, sentimental pieces.
And our neighbors, Aaron and Carolina?
Lifesavers.
They took so much off our hands:
The mosaic tile dining table Anita and I had refurbished together
Kitchen appliances
All the leftover spices and pantry items
Cleaning supplies, Tupperware, you name it
We probably saved six more Goodwill trips because of them.
And an honorable mention goes to one of our favorite local spots: Rosso Coffee and its wonderful owner (and our friend) Karen.
We gifted her one of our bookshelves—after sawing it down and rebalancing the base to fit her space—and donated dozens of books to go with it.
It made us smile to picture someone sipping espresso and thumbing through a book we once loved.
We hope her customers enjoy discovering them as much as we once did.
GrimlyGala Dolls
While sorting through our stuff, we faced a particularly bittersweet decision. GrimlyGala was one of our favorite creative ventures in that house. It was the first project Anita and I truly built together.
It started back in 2023. We wanted to decorate our house for Halloween but had no idea what to do, so we did what every creative person does when they’re stuck. We opened Pinterest. Nothing felt quite right until we stumbled across a few photos of creepy dolls. From that moment on, we were hooked.
We scoured Goodwill and Facebook Marketplace.
We asked friends and family if they had any dolls to spare.
And then we got to work.
We made seventeen dolls that year and lined them up along our driveway. The reactions were incredible.
“Those are so creepy!”
“Oh my God, did you make those?”
“Oh hell no.”
After seeing how much people loved them, we tucked them away in a storage container, ready for next year. But halfway through 2024, we had an epiphany.
“We should find something to sell on Etsy. We already go to Goodwill every week,” Anita said while we were sitting at the computer.
“It’d be too expensive to ship most of the stuff we find. We need something smaller,” I said.
“What about the creepy dolls? They’re easy to make, they don’t weigh anything, and we can make a ton.”
I stared at her. “WTF… why didn’t we think of that before?”
We looked up creepy dolls on Etsy and realized there was an entire market waiting for us. And just like that, GrimlyGala was born.
We listed our first batch, along with a few new pieces, and to our surprise they started selling—and it wasn’t even spooky season. So we decided to run the shop year-round.
But with the move, we knew the dolls couldn’t come with us. So we spent hours painting, wrapping, and carefully packing up Anita’s handmade, one-of-a-kind creations.
Each one a little work of art.
Each one a little goodbye.
Thankfully, Anita’s mom offered to help. She took the boxes back to Puerto Rico and volunteered to ship orders from there after we left.
It felt like the end of a creative chapter and the closing of the home studio we’d spent years building. But it wasn’t a goodbye to GrimlyGala. It was just a shift. A letting go of one version so another could begin.
And honestly? We’re already dreaming up the next batch… this time from Puerto Rico.
The Garden
This one stung.
We had poured time, love, and compost into that garden.
The front yard became a little oasis—with vines creeping up the trellises, a cozy swing, and flowers blooming in every color.
The backyard was our food source and our experiment: 50 pounds worth of sweet potatoes, 10 pound watermelons, and herbs we clipped straight into our meals.
It was where we started seedlings.
Where we composted scraps.
Where we watched life grow, season after season.
That garden grounded us. It was one of the few things that made Florida feel like home.
Leaving it behind felt like letting go of a version of ourselves.
But if there’s one thing we’re excited for—it’s building our next one.
Tropical soil. Year-round growing seasons. And a whole new chapter of homegrown magic in Costa Rica.
The House
While we dismantled our life piece by piece, our realtor worked behind the scenes.
After weeks of showings and two open houses, we got an offer—on my birthday, at Disney.
The closing date? Memorial Day.
That made it real.
We had two months to empty the house.
The Goodbye Tour
We didn’t have time for big sendoffs—so we made space for small ones.
Birthday visits to Disney.
One last meal at our favorite Orlando spots.
Late-night drives just to soak it all in one more time.
Quick visits with friends and family who’d shaped our time there.
Moments with neighbors who felt more like a chosen family.
There wasn’t a grand farewell. No big announcement.
Just quiet rituals to say: this mattered.
We couldn’t stop time—but we could slow it down.
Long enough to appreciate what we built.
And honor what we were about to leave behind.
The purge and goodbye took weeks.
And by the end of it, the house felt empty—but our hearts were full.
Because with every item we gave away, we got something back:
Momentum. Clarity. Space.
We were really doing it.
We were letting go—not just of stuff, but of the life we’d outgrown.
Got a creative dream that’s nudging you to shift your life around? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Up next: The Messy Middle of a Creative Reset
Series in Order:
We Weren’t Unhappy But We Left Anyway
Why We Left a Good Life Behind
Letting Go (Pt. 1): The Beginning of a Creative Reset
Currently Reading: Letting Go (Pt. 2): Clearing Space for What’s Next
Between Worlds (Pt. 1): The Messy Middle of a Creative Reset
Between Worlds (Pt. 2): Saying Goodbye to Our Old Lives
Final Farewell (Pt. 1): Saying Goodbye to Orlando
Final Farewell (Pt. 2): Our Last Days in Florida
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 1): The Not So Calm Before the Storm
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 2): We’ve Finally Made It
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 3): First Day Adventures
Finding Home (Pt. 1): Our First Big Decision
Finding Home (Pt. 2): The Race For Cash
Finding Home (Pt. 3): A New Start
Settling In (Pt. 1): Early Lessons & Adventures
Settling In (Pt. 2): So Many Curveballs
Settling In (Pt. 3): Everyday Moments That Make This Home
Settling In (Pt. 4): The End of the Beginning.