Minimalism – Preparing for a Personal Lesson

Minimalism is a hot topic at present. It’s a favourite with Millenials, mavericks, the tiny home movement and environmentalists.

As a Baby Boomer, I have lived my adult life during the height of the consumer movement. Not so in my late childhood, teens and early adult life when I lived in sanction-constrained Rhodesia and during a grim period of financial difficulties after moving to South Africa.

Perhaps I was fortunate to have been deprived of luxuries during my formative years. To have lived in countries that were not blessed (or cursed) with television until I reached a less impressionable stage of life.

I have had a rich life in many ways, a few big houses, fast cars and some amazing adventures. But most of the things I enjoyed were more simple, my horses and dogs for most of my life, walking in the bush, farming, running and more recently walking.

These are things I am reflecting on as I run through my checklist of stuff I have packed for the next three weeks, two weeks walking the Camino de Santiago and a week visiting my brother in England. I wrote about it in this post.

My Minimalism Experience

It will be the ultimate experience of minimalism. Everything I need is in this pack which weighs 8.5kg or just under 20lbs. Even where I will sleep and what I will eat is unplanned. I know there are hostels to sleep in and local cafes or restaurants for meals. There are fewer pilgrims or tourists at this time of year so no need to book in advance.

The journey should take 10 days, I have allowed 13 so I don’t have to stick to a rigid schedule.

In the interests of keeping the weight down and to enjoy being unplugged, I am not taking a computer or tablet. My typing on phone skills are terrible, so apart from a post about an incredible senior woman’s adventures scheduled for next week, there will not be any posts until after my return on 15 October. I will be writing in a journal and will let you know how it went when I get back.

It’s going to be a real personal lesson in minimalism.

p.s In my post about Rules and Regulations, I mentioned Holly Jahangari’s post about etiquette on the Internet. As expected, she got the last word in her post about tolerance. As we have both written before, we are some way apart on the political spectrum but enjoy the occasional debate. I am a bit worried that I might be getting soft in my old age as I find myself agreeing with her more than I used to. She writes well and I encourage you to read her post.