Beginning on the path...

Through my childhood and into high school I accumulated quite a bit of "stuff." When I moved to college I didn't even realize this. The main reason was that I moved almost nothing to college. My first year at college was a huge success (maybe because I was living as a minimalist even without knowing it). At the end of the year though, I had accumulated quite a bit of junk. The move was pretty wild and I dropped off my junk at my aunt's house. Sophomore year the trend continued until the end of the year with a even more horrendous move out. I wouldn't have made it in time without the help of my friend Sebastian.

That summer I interned at a company in Indiana and lived off a minimal amount of stuff. ...and guess what? It worked. Conveniently, the first semester of my Junior year was a exchange in Hong Kong. I decided on taking only one suit of belongings (the bare necessities) and fitting another suitcase inside the first. I knew that my belongings would inevitably expand during the 5 months. This time though there was a limit. Two suitcases returned... no more! In fact I didn't even have to throw much of anything out at the end of the exchange. The trick was not buying things I didn't need and donating larger items that I had bought (linens, comforter, books).

The experience in Hong Kong was so great that the next semester back at college I traveled out with just two suitcases and it worked. Since then I have attempted to rationalize all purchases and minimize my belongings.

Currently my biggest project is sorting through all the stuff in my room at my parents house. All the things I accumulated before I "simplified" my life. Which items are meaningful and carry memories with them and which are just junk?

Minimalist posting

It is very late today. I'd like to get this blog going, but it's about minimalism.

So, less is more.

More to come.

Cheers,

Matt