Minimalism

3 weeks from today, we hit the road. I'm still not sure what items will and will not fit when it's time to load up. Once I figured out my list of things that absolutely have to come and things that are optional, I wasn't worried about space anymore. In order of importance: 1. My boys 2. My camera 3. The kayaks 4. Everything else.

It's amazing how much effort and time managing and worrying about our stuff can consume. I didn't realize that having less was actually going to be a huge perk when we considered traveling. I have more time, feel less weighed down, and spend less money. I don't find myself longing for more or wishing for better, but when owning a house, it's easy to do that. There's always something that needs to be fixed or could look so much better after an upgrade that only costs a few hundred dollars. I have what I need, I don't have space for more, and worrying about my stuff doesn't occupy any of my time anymore.

We aren't trying to be trendy minimalists because we watched a Netflix documentary and thought it looked cool. We're doing it out of necessity and because we don't have a choice if we want to travel. I don't think I will choose to live with only the bare essentials when I have more space again someday, but I will definitely have less stuff than before!