Image by personal friend of editor, not to be copied without express permission
Happy day dear readers! I hope you had a great weekend and are not working too hard on this beautiful day. I'd like to continue my discussion on one of my favorite topics today. Simple Living. The above pic is a friend of mine and I think it is so fab! Isn't he hot? And he's so rockin' that shirt. He could be my poster child!
Living a life of simplicity means living a life of peace. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I endeavor to live a simple, peaceful, drama free life. Because I like to spend my time walking, admiring trees, painting and writing, I don't want to spend a lot of time doing house work. That's why I try to keep it simple. Fewer things, means less work. Organization means less time spinning my wheels looking for something. Since my sight is impaired, this is also a necessity.
Over the last few years - out of economic necessity like many of us - I've had to purge and downsize. But this is not something that should be pitied. I've been given a marvelous opportunity by the universe to reinvent myself. I made a discovery along the way. The simpler I lived, the more satisfied I felt. Living small and loving what I have is a joyful way to live. I've never felt so free, which is ironic since I'm plagued with a strange illness. Perhaps if I had listened to my body - or the cosmos - earlier I wouldn't be plagued with illness. No matter, this is not a post about coulda, shoulda, woulda. This is a happy post about dreams!
Do you ever think about how small you could go? How much do you actually need? I think about this all the time. I'm a big fan of alternative living. Tiny houses, shipping crates repurposed as homes and even campers. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Sometimes I want to run away from everything, I suppose we all feel that. I grow bored of needless complexity and bureaucracy (and oh yeah family drama too). Sometimes I fantasize about having a little, vintage, airstream trailer, and traveling the United States. I do love beautiful things, so the inside would be pretty. Probably with an air mattress and tons of pillows. Other than that, I'm not sure how many possessions I'd keep. I dearly love my vase collection, but not sure if it would make the road trip with me. Right now the thought of freedom makes my heart sing more than anything else. And, of course, living in a camper or trailer means the outside becomes part of your living room. I love that. I'd like to have a window in the roof of the camper so I can look at the stars or rain before falling asleep. I love rain!
I must admit, that I would still want some technology. My cell phone and a lap top with Internet. Because I'd have to blog about my experience. I love reading blogs of the courageous/resourceful people who are living in non-traditional ways. Imagine the freedom of no mortgage payment and no longer relying on the grid. Here are some inspirational photos. How far could you go? Could you do it?
Source unknown
They actually use this as a playhouse for the kids! How cool is that? I could live here, though. I wish I could get my mom to think more like a hippie, I could put one of these in her backyard. She has plenty of land and could easily accommodate a trailer. Ah well.
Image by Peggy
Living among trees would be a big part of life for me.
Image by Peggy
The Novogratz had a hot dog truck come to one of their kids' birthday parties. Awesome. But I think I could live in that. I love the idea of the truck and trailer being one unit. But, of course, efficient gas mileage (as well as alternative fuel sources) is a big part of this dream.
Have you seen Leah Giberson's amazing art work? I love it. I think I need these pieces. I could hang them in my bedroom and use them as visualization. See Leah's
Etsy store here. Owning an Airstream has long been a fantasy of mine. I even used a pic of one in my 2007 Christmas card. If interested,
the card can be seen here.
Alternative and creative housing, as well as intentional communities, are a big interest of mine. This is a topic I will revisit often on this blog. Lastly, did you see the story about Ken Ilgunas on Yahoo? He's the resourceful young man who put himself through college while living in his truck. He didn't want to graduate with a ton of debt - smart guy. Wish I'd been that smart. Check his story out, it's really inspiring. On a side note, putting yourself through school shouldn't be that friggin' hard in the U.S. No wonder we are falling behind - but that's the topic of subsequent (and previous) posts. The
link to the story is here. Click
here for his blog. I plan to spend some time on Ken's blog. He uses his experience to teach the rest of us who may be thinking of living in a nontraditional way. Thanks for being an inspiration Ken!
Well, dear readers? What do you think? How far are you willing to go for freedom? Is the potential of living this way something that excites you, or does it scare you? I'd love to hear from you. Love to all! xo
Swoon. One of my favorite color schemes. Berry pink and light blue (see previous post here). Their use of color is divine. If you love color, you will love their instagram page, here. Of course if I went this scheme, I would need these fabulous dishes from Urban Outfitters. Man, humans sure make beautiful things don't they? No wonder we Americans are always broke.
