Wednesday 19 March 2014

Shaking off the cobwebs

Yesterday we just took off. You may remember this post where I lamented a few things, amongst them that I felt stuck in a rut?
That feeling is nothing new of course; and it makes an appearance when I have been stuck in that hamster wheel of work/home-life for too long. At the end of a winter I always get antsy to just get out and see something different. Shake off those cobwebs, see some new scenery, get fresh ideas in my head, you know?

The open road is where it's at. Nature all around me always inspires me. The ever more narrowing walls that threaten to enclose my mind are being torn down with a vengeance, letting fresh air in. Big, wide scenery needs a big, wide mind to contain it all, you know?
There is something about the simplicity of nature and wildlife that has always appealed to me.
Animals don't scheme or plan ahead; they simply live.

All they are concerned about are basic needs: food, sleep, shelter. Mating. Survival.
We humans really aren't that different, but overcomplicate things with a ton of unnecessary crap.
I'm fascinated by people who are going back to basics. Who make a conscious effort to downsize, to simplify, to cut out a bunch of luxuries. Because, ask yourself: Do these things really make us happy?
Buying all this stuff is like a drug: you get a short-lived high, and then you have to go back for more. And more. A bit more every time.

We stopped by a friend's house yesterday, and the wife and I got talking. They recently moved (they live in a loghome now, I'm so jealous!), and in the process of selling their old home she learned a few things from her real estate agent. The agent told her that she has noticed a remarkable increase in homes being extremely cluttered with stuff. In one instance, there were three big barns full to the rafters with stuff. Hello hoarders!

I'm a firm believer that a cluttered home leads to a cluttered mind. A cluttered mind leaves you overwhelmed and leads to a chaotic life.

Have you guys heard of the Tiny House movement? Well, I'm not sure if it is an actual movement, but it is definitely a huge lifestyle choice. There is this blogger I follow, Tammy from Rowdy Kittens, who exchanged her debt-filled, middle-class lifestyle with a radical new life: she and her husband first moved into a 400-square-foot apartment, and eventually built their own tiny house. She can't stress enough how positive this lifestyle change has been, and I am intrigued.
While I can't see us moving into such a small house (where would all my dresses go?), the idea of simplifying is hugely appealing to me.

Do you ever feel enormously accomplished and satisfied when you have done a purge? I love doing it. My closet is pretty small, and while I have contemplated countless times to buy an extra wardrobe, I have never done so. Because I want to know every piece of clothing I own. Want to be able to close my eyes and be able to create an outfit in my head, just by visualizing every piece I have in my closet. If there are too many, I start forgetting about them. And I don't want that.

So yeah, those were a lot of the thoughts that went through my mind yesterday.
We were on the road for 12 hours, drove 650km, and I felt really refreshed and energized at the end!
I have a few ideas for the blog, for our home, and a few fantasy projects for the future that I hope will become reality.
They involve, of course, writing, photography, and some parties! More about this soon!

Yesterday was also the first time that Lily met two of her pack sisters. So far she hasn't hung out with them outside yet, because we don't want her to love her dog family more than her human family (=us) - we are selfish like that.
She will eventually go out and play with them every day, but we first want to make sure that she knows that her place is in the house with us.

It went amazing! She's a brave little character, and Blue and Phoebe are very friendly. Success all around!

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo Miriam
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7 comments

  1. Hmmm we have gone from studio, to a room in my grandparents house, to another studio, to a room at my in laws, to a one bedroom apartment to an even bigger one bedroom apartment. As of now what I would like are two bathrooms so I do not have to been interrupted mid shower for someone having to go potty and a spare room for crafting and guitar playing. But we already have the stuff for it I just want the room to be able to enjoy it.

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  2. I'm with you on the cluttered home/mind thing. I can't relax when our place is messy/dirty.

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  3. this trip looks like a dream - love the photographs, and if it also inspired writing, all the better, right? 2 of my favorite things :)

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  4. As always there's so much to say here. I think my comments are just going to turn into emails real soon here:). I REALLY struggle with the idea of simplifying. I work so hard (too hard), I make a good amount of money and after working so hard, I want to indulge. At 34 I really need to change.my way of thinking if I'm ever going to live a simple life. I want to. Most people would cringe if I shared what my mortgage and car payments were and that's before any of the other dozen bills. Ugh, I could go on forever. Anyways, the pup is adorable with her little pack. Xo

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  5. Lilly is so stinking cute!!! So glad to hear you are feeling refreshed, more clear minded!! I certainly believe in simplicity and getting rid of the clutter but at the same time I like space to be able to enjoy our time at home and have room for our hobbies :) We live in a much smaller house than most of our friends and have no desire or inclination to live in anything bigger. I have read about that couple and it is very interested; I am just not sure if I can go that extreme. We are actually looking at ways to further get rid of some of the stuff and all the furniture we have bought is sized so that it would fit comfortably in a smaller place.

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  6. I can't get enough of your puppy pictures. I hold you personally responsible for my newfound obsession with corgis. (Those little legs! That little FACE!)

    I'm right there with you when it comes to simplifying and downsizing. Sometimes I fantasize about living a really simple, minimalist life somewhere. And while I'm not sure I could live in a tiny house, I do try to make sure I don't let clutter take over my life. When I purge, I purge happily. Such a good feeling.

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  7. Lilly is sooooo cute. I can't get over it. The photos, of course, are terrific and I felt so peaceful as I looked at the photos and read about simplifying and keeping life focused on what is important - minimal distractions and chaos. It's a wonderful thought to pursue and implement as much as possible in whatever realm I happen to be living at any given time. I don't need all the STUFF. Great post.

    -Amy

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