Minimalism when Travelling

The life of an Earth Pilgrim is one of simplicity and minimalism. That is a necessity but it is also an essential part of Conscious Living.

There are a lot of blogs around now espousing Minimalism. Everett Bogue has written a great post on this, listing many of them.

So why do I get a little edgy when I see one of these blogs? What is it that doesn’t feel right for me.

Maybe I just don’t like the trend. Maybe I find that uncluttered white/black, no photos design a bit intimidating. (Well I do but that’s design for you. I have a lot of white space myself, but I draw the line at a white header!) Maybe I just find it a little too contrived.

It’s easy to promote minimalism when you’re 28, single, renting a flat and have no money, what about when you’re 60, on your second marriage, have children and aged parents, a mortgage and a holiday home. Hmm, just a bit different. Perhaps I just the enthusiasm of youth a little hard to take sometimes.

But don’t misunderstand me I believe in minimalism, I think it’s important not just for the individual but also for humanity. Even though the world’s economy thrives on us all being consumers and acquiring as much as we can, I think we should, no must, cut back. I believe in Conscious Living, where we look at and appreciate how we live and divest ourselves of the burden of living. By getting rid of the burden of living you can enjoy life. You can get out there and live your passion, live for what you want to be not what your family or friends want you to be.

I live a pretty minimalist lifestyle. Although I still find it easy to accumulate things, I have a system of getting rid of things as I acquire others.

I travel with a large wheeled case that ideally weighs no more than 23kgs. This airline imposed maximum is a great discipline. Sometimes I am forced down to 20kgs, put on extra clothes etc, and occasionally I have the pleasure of flying with Emirates who have an amazing 30kgs limit. This case has my clothes & shoes; teapot, mug & tea; basic cooking stuff & utensils; books & videos; extra digital gear; small shrine; odd bits & pieces.

I then carry a small backpack. This is supposed to fit in a 7kgs limit but never does, even with the laptop out. It houses my laptop & accessories; journal & notebooks; stuff for the plane; phones & chargers; passports & paperwork; odd bits & pieces.

That is my day to day life. Understand that this is not my stuff for a trip, it is how I travel all the time. Occasionally I make it back to London where I have a small lockup store and a car.

The store has a few pieces of family heirloom furniture; boxes of old photos (again old family ones); boxes of books; paintings; odd bits & pieces. Most of it is there because I have not yet found the time to go through it and clear it out. On my list of todo’s for this year are a clear week in London to go through the store and do the following essential clear up tasks. First get all the photos off to a service to digitalise them so I can then send them off to my brother to keep. Go through my books, yet again, and only keep important ones. Make decisions on the paintings many of which are by family or friends. Simplify.

The amount I have is a fraction (a small one) of what I used to have and each time I clear out I feel lighter and better. It’s partly about clearing out past issues and partly letting go of needless responsibility.

The car… Yes, this is a luxury and has been on the must-go list for a year now. I put it in long-term store while I am out of Europe, the current storage is for 5 months, but I know I can’t keep doing this. It is useful for travelling around the European Continent, especially when we house-sit in the remote montains of Spain. Maybe this year…

This minimalism is not just forced on me, it is a life choice. I am a very digital person, I love getting rid of paper. I like being close to what I have and I enjoy it when it enhances my life. Most of my possessions never did that, it was easy to let them go.

Every time I pack, a very regular occurrence, I re-visit what I am carrying. That’s a fabulous discipline that we should all create for ourselves.

Minimalism is a vital part of my life but it doesn’t override everything else I do. It isn’t a consuming passion. It’s my life.

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@gphoenix @chetaurmila

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