Ha, I lived out of my backpack for 4 years when I was in the army. Not all the time, luckily, but every ounce counted so you get to being a minimalist real quick.
And Bae, I was on a cruise ship on the Inside Passage. Following the fjords in a skiff -> awesome!
Years ago DH and I spent a month traveling in Europe with nothing but a regular school backpack each. And this was in the spring, when rain and cold have to be considered. We loved it and have never felt the need to pack anything more than that on any other trip since. It's quite liberating to travel lightly. Glad you enjoyed your unencumbered journey!
Originally Posted by mschrisgo2
I LOVE OBL!!!
Details please.
Yes, well, OBL on vacations, even extended vacations of several weeks, is what started me on my way to majorly simplifying my life, i.e. getting rid of "stuff." To date this year I have recycled in one form or another 836 "things." And actually, some of those were whole sacks of paper, either shredded or just recycled, as well as many, many other things. Honestly, I have to look back at the lists I've entered here to remember any specific things; I remember categories, but not the specific items. So obviously, I did not Need them, not at all!
I'm starting to wonder if I'm just a frugal person who practices some simplicity but no where near what many of you do. Because OBL on some trips would be fine but going into the wilderness with only what you can carry does not appeal to me at all. I used to camp, I've gotten soft. When I finally feel better, I am planning a major purge but I will keep creature comforts I use, I paid for and enjoy them. I don't think to be simple I have to give up say, my beloved tivo, bought at a steal and paid for. But serious simplicity folks don't even have tvs. My goal is to live more simply but not as extreme as I could make it. Sigh, time to read Affluenza again.
Freshstart--there's no goal post here, no finish line set in concrete. There's no rule book. Simple living can mean what you want it to mean.Originally Posted by freshstart
Certainly, if you compare yourself to some of the posters here, it may seem that you have a long way to go. But instead, try comparing where you are now to where you were last year, five years ago, ten years ago. Compare yourself to friends and family, to co-workers. You are probably living a very different life than 90% of people in the US.
I am in no way a minimalist, but I don't think you have to be a minimalist to live a simple life. I love my books. Over the past few years, I have down-sized the book collection by over 1,000 volumes, because I grew to realize that storing and moving that many books was causing me problems. But I still have a lot of books.
Those teeny-tiny houses people gush over? I'd get claustrophobia in them on a rainy day. Or a snowy day. Or any day the weather caused me to have to stay inside. I have no idea how anyone would make the bed when the mattress is on the floor and the ceiling is three feet over your head and there's no room to move around the bed. And I like to make my bed, so for me, that's a problem. Where on earth do the people living in those tiny spaces store Christmas ornaments, winter boots, a broom or a vacuum, a tennis racket or skis, extra toilet paper?
Moderation in everything.
836 things! That is awesome! Congrats.
I LOVE OBL!!!
Details please.
Yes, well, OBL on vacations, even extended vacations of several weeks, is what started me on my way to majorly simplifying my life, i.e. getting rid of "stuff." To date this year I have recycled in one form or another 836 "things." And actually, some of those were whole sacks of paper, either shredded or just recycled, as well as many, many other things. Honestly, I have to look back at the lists I've entered here to remember any specific things; I remember categories, but not the specific items. So obviously, I did not Need them, not at all!
Simplicity looks different to every SLer from what I can tell. Now there are obviously people who are not SLers and they will tell/show you so. And there are probably people who want to be SLers, or are in spirit, but they just can't make it a reality for some reason.
But I really think the choices you make about donating, tossing, selling, not buying, keeping, etc. are yours to make. I also think it is worthwhile to consider where a person starts from. If you lived the past ten years in a 5,000 sq. ft. house with a helicopter pad, and six tennis courts and you downsize to a 2,000 sq. ft. condo and drive a Toyota instead of flying that helicopter, then I would say you have become a SLer. Of course, I'd be rooting for you to take it further!
But do you see what I mean? I own a car. I want to go car-free some day. But just because I still own the car does not mean I am not an SLer. And when I get rid of the car and ride my bike, I could go even simpler and just hoof it. But I highly doubt I would go to that level.
To me, it's about finding that 'enough point'. What's enough for me may not be enough for you, and vice versa. From what I can tell, Bae has lots of stuff, but he seems to have surrounded himself with the things that are truly useful and satisfy his particular needs, and is very aware of what he may require in a particular situation, and what he can do without.
I went without tv because I found it cluttered my mind. But I kept movies, and watched documentaries online, and posted on various forums. If I had just been indiscriminately discarding all media input as unworthy of a simple life, I think I'd have felt holier-than-thou and cleansed ... but in the end pretty damn bored and disconnected. Too much / not enough.
What I am fond of is pushing one's own envelope in search of that balance. Put a cover on the tv for a week, or box up the clothes I haven't worn in a while, or eliminate most carbs from my diet. What happens? How do I feel? Is it an improvement or a death march? Exploring is much more fun without a list of Shoulds.
kib:To me, it's about finding that 'enough point'. What's enough for me may not be enough for you, and vice versa. From what I can tell, Bae has lots of stuff, but he seems to have surrounded himself with the things that are truly useful and satisfy his particular needs, and is very aware of what he may require in a particular situation, and what he can do without.
I went without tv because I found it cluttered my mind. But I kept movies, and watched documentaries online, and posted on various forums. If I had just been indiscriminately discarding all media input as unworthy of a simple life, I think I'd have felt holier-than-thou and cleansed ... but in the end pretty damn bored and disconnected. Too much / not enough.
What I am fond of is pushing one's own envelope in search of that balance. Put a cover on the tv for a week, or boxing up the clothes I haven't worn in a while, or eliminating carbs from my diet. What happens? How do I feel? Is it an improvement or a death march? Exploring is much more fun without a list of Shoulds.
You are really after my own heart! haha
I engage in lifestyle experiments too, from the large to the miniature. But I always learn something and take that lesson into my life as a whole. It informs me on what I want or don't want. Powerful stuff, I think.
thank you for this! very true
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