Hi! I’m just back from Paris and feeling so grateful for the time with my brother and the massive perspective shift and reset travel provides. For me, being away always clarifies what matters back home — this time, it had me asking: if it all disappeared tomorrow, what would I actually miss?
I don't own anything that would be considered traditionally valuable — no rare art, fine jewelry, or pricey electronics. If someone broke into our home, they'd likely leave empty-handed.
Living in California (land of fires and earthquakes), I’ve often gone through the mental exercise of pondering what we’d grab in an evacuation. It’s a question I also spend a lot of time asking clients, in a gentler context — helping them figure out what actually matters as they sort through a lifetime of belongings.
So here’s my own list:
When I was little, my dad used to leave me humorous and irreverent yellow sticky notes around the house — perhaps my most precious treasure now that he's gone. I also hold dear a handful of old letters he wrote me over the years, and a copy of his recipe for gourmet mac and cheese, which I framed and hung in our hallway.
I've kept a single box of old photos spanning decades, including black-and-whites of my parents in the sixties, along with snapshots from my theater days and college dorm life. They're truly irreplaceable — I keep them in a fireproof box but should probably scan them as well.
Travel and writing have been my most consistent passions. My passport represents the freedom to follow my curiosity and explore other cultures and countries; my laptop, the ability to read, write, and stay connected. Between the two, I truly feel like the luckiest person on earth.
I've kept memento boxes (we use these in size large) for my girls since they were born. The contents include a lock of hair from their first haircuts, cards from loved ones, baby booties and hats, first self-portraits, milestones and awards, and early artwork. The boxes are bulging and bloated now as they approach college, and we love to spill them out for a nostalgic review every few years. One day I'll pass them along — a time capsule of their youth, from zero to eighteen.
None of these things would be worth much to others. But they reveal so much about who I am and what I value. It’s worth investing the time to clarify and identify your own list.
You can start with the following prompts:
If I could only save one box from my whole house, what would be inside it?
What would I miss dearly if everything disappeared?
Which items do I own that are truly personal or irreplaceable?
What would I want to pass along to my kids or loved ones?
Which items feel intrinsically linked with my values or identity?
Reader Prompt: I’m curious: what are the items that you hold the most precious? Please share in the comments?
Micro Travel Guides: By popular request — sharing my free London Edit and Paris Edit: the places I keep coming back to (or wish I'd found sooner) in each city
Things I Wish I Had Packed for 10 Days Europe: A large packable sun hat (this one would have been perfect), a chic flat like this one or this one (I only wore sneakers), a light-as-air dress (it was so hot), my favorite eye mask and earplugs!
Listen Up: Loved Christine Koh’s solo podcast on the art of the intentional pause
Fewer Better Faves: A hydrating SPF balm for your lips, a fancy french hairbrush, a great aluminum free deodorant, and pre-ordering Flamingo Estate’s gorgeous new book
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