LIVING FROM A SUITCASE; LESSONS LEARNED
By Gail K. Kachnycz 06 April 2026
“Be sure to write in your journal,” one of my friends advised. “You are sure to learn a lot through
this experience.” On March 24, I returned to our newly repaired and renovated house. I was away a total
of six months, living out of a suitcase and dependent on the hospitality of friends and family. During that
time, journal entries were made about 14 times; seven in the first two weeks, and seven in the remaining
five and a half months– hardly a frequent record of events and thoughts. Although I did not write down
my reflections at the time, there were some lessons that I will begin to share. For those of you who have
become readers or subscribers some time in 2025, here are some links that explain why I was on the
road for six months:
The repairs and renovations were quite extensive. A partial list of interior work included: repair water
damage to walls in garage & laundry room, raise/level “sunken” living room floor, install new flooring
on 2 levels of the house, bring electrical circuits up to modern code requirements, renovate kitchen &
three bathrooms including adding a shower to ground floor bathroom, paint all living spaces of the house
except paneled family room. The general contractor that we employed estimated that the job could be
completed in four to five months. I had been cautioned by those with experience in home projects that it
would take longer, so mentally I prepared to see the process take six months, extending through March.
Although I am back in the house, there are “punch list” tasks that need to be completed, and furniture is
not back in place. Everything is still in boxes, so it is rather like camping. But, I wholeheartedly agree
with Dorothy as she returned from Oz, “There’s no place like home.”
When I anticipated living from a suitcase, free from household tasks, I thought I would have time to
do at least some of the things I had put off while I was downsizing and packing the house before interior
demolition and construction began. Some of the projects I envisioned were: setting up a schedule for
prayer times and reading through the Bible. I packed the Spanish CD’s from Pimsleur and the Navigators
Topical Memory System cards of Bible verses. I brought materials to make a Tee-shirt quilt, and books
to read for education and pleasure. Most of these items remained in the boxes, untouched. Had I
surrendered this unique opportunity? Had I simply drifted along, life on hold for six months? No. The
answer is, the experiences and lessons I learned were different from what I was expecting. They fall
into three main categories. Future posts will elaborate on each one.
1. “Big Rocks” Fit First; make space for what is important
2. Life Goes On; maintain connections/relationships
3. We Don’t Really Need Much; blessing is practical
Look for these topics to appear as posts over the next weeks or months.
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