A Chinook in My Future? (October 2017)

My son and son-in-law
took me to Disney World last month.
It was a blast!

Here are some photos of the trip.

Disney World was on my bucket list,
so it was wonderful to be able to check it off.
Thank you, Cameron and Michael!

Getting ready for my next bucket list adventure 

has been hard work, 

but a lot of fun too!  

Flying to Europe First Class 

is one item on my bucket list left to do. 

But the NEXT item is easier and will last longer.  

It's my intention to take at least one year off, 

buy an RV, 

and go see America!

As I go through my belongings, once again, 

I have discovered that 

I'm not the minimalist I think I am!  

Somehow I have accumulated a ton of "stuff ...

again!

So... 

I look at each thing and ask:

1) Do I love it?

2) Do I need it?

3) Have I used it in the past year?

If not, I make some tough decisions.

Walking the Camino Santiago

has given me a deep understanding

of the difference between

what I WANT 

and what I really NEED to be happy.

Walking 6 weeks with nothing

except what fits in a 15 pound pack

was enlightening.

Especially when the lightbulb went on

inside my head and I thought,

"Gosh, I don't miss ANY of that stuff back home!"

So far, I've given away a few boxes of items. 

Things I'm not sure of, 

I'll look at once I return from Spain again in June.

The most difficult things to part with 

are the old photographs inherited 

from my many grandparents. 

While those are precious to ME, 

and while my sons remember 

my grandparents and 2 of my great-grandparents, 

the rest of those people are strangers to them, 

and they're not really interested in genealogy.  

I keep hoping one of my 3 grandchildren 

will want the 3 or 4 boxes of genealogy 

and old photos. 

I'll wait a few more years to see. 

But after that, what are they good for?

I also have heirlooms from those grandparents, 

great grandparents, 

and great great grandparents. 

Things that I looked at, 

touched, 

and loved while growing up but that are, again, meaningless to my children.

How sad, 

in a way, 

that all we love turns to dust in the end.

I have one small box, 

about 10" x 10" x 4" marked "Things I Love."  Crystals, gemstones, knicknacks, 

a couple of vases from my great grandmothers. 

Along with the photos, 

those are what I'd grab if I had time in an emergency.

The third group of boxes are my art supplies.
How, oh how can I get rid of those???

Otherwise, the 24 boxes (more or less) 

that are left don't hold much sentimental value.

They are just "things." 

So when I return from Spain in June, 

I'll be having an estate sale. 

I need just enough to fit 

into the new-to-me Chinook 
(or similar small RV)

that I'm going to manifest.  

Isn't she a beauty?!

I can just see myself in the driver's seat.

What adventures I'll have!

I'll be soooo happy seeing America 

in this little RV!

(Or do I want a RoadTrek? Or a motorhome? Or ???)

Camino Lessons in Minimalism

One lesson I learned from the Camino was just how few possessions it takes to make a person happy.

Walking for 6 weeks

with nothing but what you can carry on your back 

makes you aware of the difference between "wants" and "needs." 

 Wearing the same skirt every day for 6 weeks 

reminds you that appearances are deceiving

 - that instead of looking at what a person is wearing, 

we should be looking into their eyes and into their hearts.

I read on a minimalist website today that anything we get rid of, 

we can replace for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes 

from our current location. 

That is pretty eye-opening. 

Think about it. 

Look around the room and make a list of all the things you are keeping "just in case." 

 How much space do those things take up? 

How much energy to maintain them?

 If they were gone, would you really miss them? 

If you had to replace each item because you TRULY needed it, 

what would it cost you? 

 Almost always it's under $20. 

Almost always it would take less than 20 minutes.

 This theory likely works 99% of the time for 99% of all items and 99% of all people. 

The advantages have begun to outweigh the fear for me.

I live in a house that was built in the 1940s. 

I have a VERY small closet, by modern standards. 

I was having difficulty seeing my clothes 

and getting them in and out of the closet, 

they were jammed in so tightly. 

 So one day last week, in frustration, 

I did the deed.

I took out each and every item. 

First I asked, "Have I worn this in the past year?" 

 If not, it went away.

I asked, "Does this still fit me?" 

 Many items were too small, and I've been waiting "just in case" I lose weight. 

 I faced the fact that I've gone through menopause, t

hat genetically, women in my family tend to put on a few extra pounds after menopause, 

and I wasn't ever going to be 18 again. 

 Those items went away also.

I asked, "Do I NEED three pair of black jeans?" 

 Extra items went away.

I don't really like giving things to Goodwill. 

I feel they get items free, 

then charge way too much money for those items. 

Goodwill is supposed to be for poor people

 - but even I can hardly afford to shop there anymore. 

So I just put all my give-away items on clothes hangers 

and hung them out on the tree in my front yard. 

 They quickly disappeared, taken by people who needed them.

Children's rooms today can be absolutely overwhelming! 

 When I was a kid, I had a small collection of toys.

 One of my granddaughters can't even walk into her bedroom. 

It makes me sad to see. 

What must her MIND look like if her environment is so cluttered? 

How can she sleep well?

How can she even know what the hell is IN there?

About once each year, I go over and help her shovel it out,

but good habits take practice 

and I'm not there every day to enforce de-cluttering.

I'm planning on continuing the purge in my own house.

 I did it a few years back when I first was diagnosed with MCS 

and had to live in my car for a time. 

But over the years, I've accumulated more and more 'stuff."

Getting rid of these items cleared my mind, freed up space, 

and took a lot of weight off my shoulders. It's feeling better and better.

Have you walked the Camino? 

If so, you know what I'm talking about. 

You know how to live with only enough possessions to make up 10% of your body weight. 

Maybe it's time to ask yourself, 

"What are you holding on to just in case?"

Buen Camino!

Annie