So it began with a dream to stop working just to pay bills. To get out of the corporate treadmill. To have adventures and explore the United States, if not the world. So we started following people living the van life. Dreaming of waking up with a mountain lake view or falling asleep under the stars.
The reality was that I had just bought the house I thought I would be able to spend the rest of my life in, surrounded by dogs and my things, So many things. So many memories. Relics of the past. I was comfortable.
The first step was to start deciding what I could live without. Quite a lot, as it turns out. Instead of thinking that a home had to be filled with stuff to feel homey, I looked at everything through a new lens. And frankly, as someone who didn’t like to dust, having knick-knacks made the situation even worse. Creating space felt better, cleaner.
I came across a Youtube channel called “A Small Wardrobe.” One of the most significant aha moments for me was when she said she had gotten rid of all of her black clothing. She had a cat. Cat hair and black clothing don’t mix. Not only
did I have a lot of black clothing, but I had always had lots of cats and dogs and no relationship with a lint brush. Out went ALL of my black attire.
To be honest, I had been getting rid of lots of belongings and donating them to Goodwill for years. But somehow, I always had more. Where were all of these things coming from? The idea of starting a free community store for the non-profit, Kind Meals that I was with was born of my desire to stop being buried in stuff.
After more than 2 years, the community store has grown with donations from so many people that it takes up a space 16’L x 2’W x 5’H in my garage. Minimalism is catching! And taking up more space in my life.
To be continued…
WanderLyd 
I applaud your exploration into minimalism. You are definitely inspiring! Funny how we collect and gather all of our lives and then the sense of claustrophobia seeps in. I bring things into my life and then forget the most important part of the flow…keep it moving. 🙂
In fact ‘detaching from stuff I have accumulated’ has become ‘connecting by sharing with others’.
I am so happy to have gotten to know you through Kind Meals and your community store. You will definitely be missed by our Kind Meals tribe. As always, thank you for sharing your journey! Looking forward to seeing where it takes you!
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I appreciate you allowing me to “share” some of my things with you!
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