A Minimalist Experiment

A few weeks ago, due to a family emergency, I had three hours to pack and then nine people would cram in one car for an 8 hour drive to Portland. Needless to say, it was a challenge. It also posed the perfect chance to try a minimalist experiment inspired by Zen Habit's post on Teaching Kids to Pack Ultralight.

The experiment? To pack for a whole week, with only a small duffel bag.

What I packed:

• 3 shirts (one tank top, one t-shirt, one long sleeve)
• 2 pairs of jeans
• A belt
• My bible and notebook
• My sketchbook
• 1 book
• Toiletries in a tiny makeup case
• My i-pod (it's smaller than my phone)
• My phone
• My camera

What I learned:

• Make sure all your clothes fit. One of my jeans were too tight and didn't fit. I ended up with only one pair of pants for the entire trip which became problematic when I spilled Chinese food on them.
• I didn't need my sketchbook - copy paper or my notebook work perfectly fine, and I didn't draw anything anyways.
• Bring a packed lunch so that you don't resort to fast-food.
• Don't forget your phone charger. Bringing a phone without a charger is useless.
• The car ride was a lot more comfortable with less stuff.
• I didn't need my i-pod - I had a more fun talking to people instead of listening to music.
• It was easy to pack up quickly and get going earlier with less stuff to cram in the car.
• I didn't have to carry a huge bag around town

Overall, I loved this. I can't wait to do it again. Despite the few problems I came across (my pants not fitting, for one), I highly suggest doing this. Just, take into account the lessons I learned so that you don't have to repeat them.

Do you travel light?

What's Really Important

This week I found out my family might end up homeless again. Once I got over the initial terror, I went through the normal routine of thinking about what I needed to pack in case we had to leave in a rush. For a family of four, this means I only have room for one suitcase.

Realizing I had to fit what I need to survive, and what's really important to me, in a single suitcase was a big wake-up call.

Me and my family have slowly been purging our belongings, taking a tiny step each day to minimalism. Since this month last year I've purged over 70% of my belongings. But I still have way too much to fit in a suitcase.

When I entered my room this morning and looked at my shelves, full of stuff just yesterday I had felt was too precious to even consider getting rid of, I realized how worthless most of it was.

Slowly, almost in a meditative process, I pulled things off the shelves and put them in a get-rid-of box one at a time.

Manga? Gone. Books? Keep a few, toss the rest. CDs? Poof. Magazines? Gone. Makeup and Accessories? Almost completely gone. Art supplies? Wiped out. Fabric scraps? Gone. Bulk fabric? Substantially lessened.

I can now list my personal belongings, and it's just a little more than one hundred things. This is the biggest purge I've ever done at once, and I feel completely set free, as if I could pick up and leave at any moment without anything holding me back. I am no longer tied down by material objects. And I love it.Going to college like this is going to be very easy.

My 100(ish) Belongings:

• 22 pieces of clothing
• 1 small box of makeup and jewelry
• 1 Cellphone
• Computer
• 1 Bible
• 4 notebooks
• PSP
• Camera
• Ukulele
• 2 small boxes of art supplies (markers, paints, ink, pencils, etc.)
• Wallet
• I-pod
• 43 Books
• 1 photo album
• Sleeping Bag
• Atari piggy bank (what can I say? I'm a nerd)
• 2 boxes of magic cards (again: nerd)
• Knife
• 1 bag (bag has library books in it, nothing else. I use this when traveling)
• 5 sketchbooks
• 6 binders of writing
• 1 portfolio of drawings
• 4 pairs of shoes (Sneakers, flip flops, high-heeled sandals, and green flats)
• 3 CD's
• 1 CD booklet 
• 1 tackle box
• 1 fishing pole

Total: 109

I'm not quite down to a single suitcase yet, but I am really, really close. I managed to move a few things digital, which helped. I keep my schedule on my phone, and I use my phone's alarm as my alarm clock for example.

Look at your belongings as if you could fill only one suitcase - what would you take with you? What's really important? What isn't?