I have thought a lot about the whole idea of becoming minimalist.
I really do like the idea, but it was always hard to implement and to actually get rid of things. Well, I guess I am now! The Camp Fire and losing my home has given me the opportunity to start over and try to simplify my life. I do still have some things in the storage unit that made it, but I need to go through it and get rid of things in it that I don’t actually need to keep around anymore.
Since I’m basically living out of a suitcase out of a hotel room and what can fit in my car, I have the opportunity to carefully think about what I do allow into my life. I’m able to decide if it will truly enhance my life, or just clutter it with something that makes me feel better in that moment.
I’ve decided that I do want to replace a few items that were more decorative, like my special Yosemite mug. For the most part, I want simplicity in my room, and it will have to be that way for quite a while because we won’t be able to be in a home of our own for months, or even years.
So what direction will I take as we rebuild our life? I want to focus my life on the outdoors. I love hiking, camping, and going out on the lake in my kayak. I have most of my camping gear in my storage unit, which survived, except for my daypack, CamelBak water bladder, and I think that my sleeping bag and personal REI tent may have been in the garage which burned. Once we are able to get into the storage unit, I’ll be able to see exactly what I had put away in there.
I do plan on replacing my Wilderness Systems Kayak since it was something that I loved doing and gave me awesome experiences. My quandary is what model I should get, and if I should try to get a new one or try to find a used one. I don’t have a place to put it, so it’s not an urgent thing, but I am a planner when it comes to these kinds of things.
I also plan on replacing the backpack, although that’s going to be hard to find, since Deuter changed a couple of features on their current model that I’m not a fan of. It was such a great day pack at 28 liters. It was the perfect size for a long day hike where I needed the space for my camera gear, but also it had the capability of doing a light overnight trip if I wanted.
This will be a long road, but it’s a unique opportunity too. I’m a firm believer in the living in the moment, so I am just taking this one day at a time. Life is about the journey, now more than ever.
pc: the fabulous Unsplash app
mulled thoughts...and cider 