I got rid of a lot of things before I left to travel. It was a nice feeling to purge everything unnecessary, everything unneeded, from my life. In the end I sold, threw out, or donated over two-thirds of my belongings. Still, I kept many...

I've had my bookcase forever. OK, not forever, but probably close to ten years. It's actually just from Target. For a few years in the mid 2000s they used to hold an annual "Global Bazaar" event featuring worldly-inspired limited-edition furniture and accessories. It's a hard-wood...