The first event that sparked this epiphany was my ". My idea was to take the monthly expense for a big house, and divide it between a small studio in California and hotel rooms, bungalows, huts - whatever - as my wife and I travel around the world for much of each year.

The challenge: What to do with all our stuff? Our goal: Get rid of half our "stuff" by selling, donating or throwing away, place about one quarter into storage, and move the remaining quarter into the studio.

The second event I mentioned was a disaster in my city. I live in Santa Barbara, Calif., which as I write this is surrounded by ". At press time, some 30,000 people have been ". Many had to get out with less than 20 minutes notice.

Which raises the question: What do you give up when you streamline, downsize and go digital nomad? And, what do you lose when your house burns in a fire?

Furniture and buildings can be replaced. But what about old family pictures? Paintings your children made in kindergarten? Trophies? Award plaques? Objects passed down from previous generations?