Letting go of stuff sucks. 

And guess what you do a whole lot of when you're 'downsizing,' and trying to cram your four-bedroom life into an RV? In fact, just the interim step, going from house to a one-bedroom apartment, has already forced us to start thinking in terms of "do we really need this crap?" 

Some things, though, are tougher to get rid of than others. 

This morning, Kara and I were talking money, talking downsizing, talking RV living. And something funny came up. We have two vehicles right now—my truck and her car. The car is a lease. The truck, though, is only a few grand from being paid off.

We've talked about paying that off with some of the money from selling our house, and reducing our monthly overhead a bit. But this morning we talked about the idea of selling it outright, paying it off, and maybe buying something small for straight cash. No additional overhead. But no truck, either. 

Yikes. 

It's not that I can't part with the truck. I can. I really believe that. But ... my truck. 

See, I'm sort of a sentimental guy. I become overly attached to certain things. I hold on to stuff forever, more out of a sense of nostalgia than out of need. And don't get me wrong, I'm really, really good at repurposing things. So all that stuff generally gets a new life.

The truck ... that girl has been my beauty for the past four years. 

My whole adult life, I've more or less settled when it came to vehicles. I bought cars that were affordable, that had good gas mileage, that served more of a practical purpose than an aesthetic one. This truck, my 2011 Toyota Tundra, Texas Edition ... well, it's also practical. But it's practicality was in perfect balance with its beauty. 

I love this truck.

So ... would I trade this truck in for something else? Would I walk away from it, even though it would be completely paid off, and would still have all of its practical value? Would I walk away from the first vehicle I've ever owned that was in no way a compromise? 

Sure. 

Maybe.

I don't know.

I'm still deciding.

It's worth considering, really, because as practical as the truck is, it can't do what we need it to do, when the time comes. When we buy the RV we're after, my truck becomes useless. It can't pull a fifth-wheel. It doesn't have the towing capacity. And it can't be towed behind a motor coach, because it's ridiculously huge. 

No ... it's clear to me that inevitably I will have to say goodbye to the girl. She's served me well, she's pleased me with her beauty and smooth handling and reliability. But when you're about to embark on a new life, you have to embrace the compromises that come along. You have to choose between holding on to the past and embracing the future. 

So I'll probably be selling a used but remarkably beautiful and very practical 2011 Toyota Tundra, Texas Edition. If you happen to be in the market, let me know. The tears of nostalgia are on the house.