Giving Up 105 Pounds Overnight To Start My Minimalist Journey

"Your minimalist closet."
"Minimalist packing."
"A minimalist kitchen."

(Try typing "minimalist" three times fast!)

I love saving these pins. They make me feel better about my sparse closet and my bare cupboards. It helps me put a trendy name to my reality.

When my husband and I left our last home, we thought we were on our way to a job in China. But unforeseen difficulties with our visas meant a change in plans. Suddenly we were country-hopping through SE Asia looking for work. And one plane ticket in, I realized we weren't going to be able to keep lugging around our two carry-ons and two 70-pound bags that we'd been allotted on our initial flight over.

On the final day at our Airbnb, I started discarding items. Things I'd brought to help us start our new home. Books, extra shoes, cold-weather clothing, picture frames. When we boarded our flight, our bags were 105 pounds lighter. ✈

Eleven months later and I haven't replaced a lot of things we left behind. For one, we weren't sure how long we'd be here. We didn't want to go through that again. Secondly, it's nice to be rid of the worry that comes with having stuff. I think this is the main reason why minimalism is becoming so popular.

Once you've gone minimalist, it's hard to go back.

But becoming minimalist isn't that easy. In future posts, I hope to explain the "whys" and a few simple steps to help you get started if you decide it sounds like something you want to try. Don't worry, I won't make you do it overnight.

And I promise, typing minimalist three times won't be part of the process!