LIVING WITH LESS

4 Travelers & Their Luggage - That's it for a year!

Prior to our leaving for our one year around the world adventure, people would often ask, “How do you pack for a whole year?”The answer is, “The same way you pack for a week, only a little less and a lot more carefully.”We each had a 28″ rolling duffel bag and a day pack.  If it didn’t fit into either of those bags, it didn’t go with us.  Needless to say, we didn’t have a huge amount of stuff for a year.

1 Laptop - It's All the Technology We Had

It’s not only clothing and personal possessions we did without.  We didn’t have a phone or an answering machine, not even a cell phone!  We didn’t have mail, a door bell or anyway for anyone to get hold of us other than email.  There was no car sitting in front of our accommodation we could jump into, to drive to where ever we wanted to go.

And most of the time we didn’t have access to many of the things that are so readily available to us here in the US:  English Language books, fruits and vegetables that are out of season, international foods, a choice of 10 different products, be it toothpaste, toilet paper or sun screen.

Let’s face it, when you choose long-term travel as a way a life, you accept its natural consequence of living with less.  How is it?  Great!  Not only is living with less in order to travel the world a more than worthwhile trade off, you discover that life is lighter, freer and easier when you live with less.

Did I ever get sick of wearing the same things over and over again?  No, not really.  Strangely, instead of feeling tired of the same outfits, I enjoyed the simplicity of it all.  If it was cool out, I wore one of three pairs of pants.  If it was hot, one of three pairs of shorts.  Shoes?  “Do I need open toed or closed toed shoes today?”Often the outfit that went on that morning was the one hanging over the chair that came off the night before; how much easier can life get.

Life with less technology was also freeing.  Now back at home, I come into my house and check my answering machine, my mailbox, my email and my cell phone if I didn’t have it with me.  While traveling, I didn’t have to keep up with all of that.  I wasn’t at some one’s beck and call, which is what life sometimes feels like.  I moved at my own pace with less regard for others than what is required at home.

OK - Some Times We Did Have Choices!

As for the lack of choice available on the road, you quickly discover that it’s not restrictive but freeing.  In America we have “Freedom of Choice.”But what the advertising industry calls freedom of choice, I have come to think of as a bombardment of choice.  When I needed to buy toilet paper on the road, I went into the market and bought one of several brands of toilet paper.  I didn’t feel deprived that I didn’t have 75 options to choose from: one ply or two, scented or unscented, single roll, double roll or jumbo roll, four pack, eight pack, sixteen pack or the family pack…Actually, I felt grateful I could just go into a store and buy toilet paper without really having to think too much about it.  Fewer choices amounted to less work, less responsibility and fewer decisions; who couldn’t learn to love that?

I guess in some ways, those who travel, often live with less before they ever hit the road.  Unless you are wealthy, typically your means to travel come from living with less.  We all make choices as to how we spend the limited amount of money we have.  Some choose clothing and jewelery; others electronics.  Still others, like to have newer cars to drive.  When travel is your passion, you often live with less in order to afford the thing that makes your life worth living – Travel.

Check out these other bloggers who have written on the same topic:

http://worldschooladventures.com/2011/09/06/getting-rid-of-stuff/

http://familyonbikes.org/blog/2011/09/enjoying-life-with-less/

http://breakoutofbushwick.org/?p=610

http://familytravelbucketlist.com/living-with-less-and-5-kids

http://www.carriedonthewind.com/2011/09/living-with-less.html

http://ourtravellifestyle.com/2011/09/06/living-with-less-does-having-all-our-gear-again-really-make-us-happier

http://www.livinontheroad.com.au/blog/four-kids-almost-no-toys.html

http://www.thedropoutdiaries.com/2011/09/anchors-aweigh/

http://www.discovershareinspire.com/2011/09/1-truck-2-continents-7-people-how-we-organize-our-321-things

http://www.newlifeontheroad.com/living-with-less-stuff/

http://brandonpearce.com/2011/09/dont-use-it-dont-keep-it/

http://www.gotpassport.org/2011/01/03/carlin-had-a-point-less-is-more-in-2010/