We arrived in Arlington 23 years ago with all our personal belongings packed into a Ryder Truck. We left our car — a 1974 Mustang — in Illinois and would fly back two weeks later to pick it up and drive the 813 miles back to the National Capital Region.

That Ryder truck wouldn’t begin to hold our belongings now. After six weeks of packing, we have nearly filled a 300-square foot space at a StorageUSA facility and still have furniture left in the condo. The furniture will stay until the place is sold.

In looking at the boxes piled to the ceiling of the storage space, we realize just how much “stuff” we have accumulated over the past two decades and three years.

We threw a lot of stuff away and gave a ton more to Goodwill. Gone are the designer suits and $300 shirts I wore while running a political action committee. We found tax records going back to 1981. The shredder got them.

But many things were worth keeping, momentos and memories from a life we will remember fondly but have little desire to live over.

This packing adventure is almost over. But the moving part still remains.