Everyones Doing It - Nomad and Minimalism

It seems everywhere I look now, there is another blog on minimalism. I started this one as a personal journal and it will continue as such. My journey started with some dust allergies and too much fur for my comfort, so instead of spending hours of my life cleaning and sneezing, I got rid of what needed dusted. If it was that valuable, I took a picture. It was like a waking moment when I realized how much time was being spent cleaning that I wanted to be doing other things. That was almost 2 years ago and I its the most freeing thing I ever did.

I got tired of looking at books and stuff I hadn't touched in years or bought and never read: so it went. I don't entertain more than 3 people at a time, so I downsized my dishes, and I don't wear a month of clothes before doing laundry, nor am I a skinny mini any longer, so some of the clothes went. I had tapes, DVDs and random who knows what items that went out the door to various points.

At some point I decided a bed was too much work to clean underneath, to move to make and in general, just not worth it. So I sold mine and went for a tri fold on the floor after trying sleeping on the floor, air mattresses, foam mats and bed rolls (the bed rolls are good). I had plastic drawers for dressers I didn't even know what was in them. I got rid of them and went through their contents. I switched to various shoebox containers.

Then came the office clutter, the bathroom areas and the living room. I even got rid of the couch and armchair, it was just to much to vacuum. Well that was in a house, then I realized I had way to much house for one room of stuff. Then hey, a van is a good idea. AND IT WAS!! Now everything fits tidy, has dual purpose and is moveable. And then came the little apartment that is an in law suite in a persons home, like having a room mate with out the headaches (we share a kitchen and bathroom). Ah relief. And here I am again going through my stuff again before the holidays. No kids, no commitments, just a job, a roof and freedom from stuff, clutter and chaos of searching for things in a nest of junk. Now I can clean in under an hour, do two loads of laundry every 2 weeks, and pack up the van with a basket and duffel to go on my marry way.

But with that, my generation now lives this way. We are a mobile bunch, not much into buying new cars and expensive homes. we are realistic of utility costs, how hard it is to move when the employment we gain (which may or may not happen) ends, and how its important to be a utilitarian but yet live life for all its worth because many of us don't have health insurance, some don't drive a vehicle and some live in creative ways as it won't be available when we are older, we will be working for the rest of our days, so we might as well figure it out now. There are those as well who have kids but are shopping at Goodwill and Salvation Army knowing their kids will out grow their clothes quickly, their kids will probably move and some even have families on the road. We have given up trying to strike it rich and have the white picket fence as that doesn't lead to happiness, time spent living, exploring, learning and enjoying does -:)