8 ways to be a minimalist and stay present
How to be a minimalist traveler: Travel nurse version
It was November two years ago that I packed my belongings in two luggage cases, stored and sold the rest, and started my travel nurse journey. It was also around that time that I understood my deep desires and stopped living according to “society’s” expectations.
Letting go of my things to travel wasn't difficult for me. Perhaps it was because I’ve always had a wanderlust spirit, and being true to myself meant letting go of a lot of things I thought I needed but in actuality were weighing me down.
These days my thoughts have shifted from accumulating possessions to appreciating meaningful experiences that come from work and travel. Travel nursing has brought many opportunities, but the one I am most grateful for is the awareness that I can survive and thrive with less.
What it means to be a minimalist: Ethiopian woman with big hair version
For me, being minimalistic means having things that will bring value, and the way I know that is by asking myself, “Red8, do you need that and will it bring value to your life or weigh you down?” Yes, it takes lots of discipline to say no and accept that it serves no purpose in my life. Owning less stuff won’t fix your problems either, but I believe it can simplify your life.
The point I'm trying to make here is: are you allowing things into your life that will bring you life or cause you to be in debt and not live your best life? Don’t get me wrong I like owning expensive things too, so I buy things that are from companies that have philanthropic impact like Cotopaxi Jacket and Miir or made with quality material like my Fjällräven bag which I know I can use for a long time.
Also, as an Ethiopian with a crazy amount of hair that needs a crazy amount of hair products, I manage to simplify what I carry by buying products after I settle into a new place and/or having my hair in a simple style (i.e braids or crochet).
Owning less stuff doesn’t mean my sense of fashion has to be compromised, It means that I don’t have to spend money buying stuff I want, but don't need. Being a minimalist means saying no to the impulse that I have to swipe my credit card every time my eye sees something it likes.
Slow travel, slow living, and staying present: With less
What I want to share is not how you should be a minimalist, but 8 essential things I always take with me and the purpose it serves to simplify my life. I say simplify because having those possessions enabled me to have the kind of experiences that bring freedom and happiness in my life and never hindered me to do what I love.
These days my thoughts have shifted from owning a lot of things to experiencing meaningful things. Simplifying my belongings as a travel nurse means understanding why I pack a certain thing. These things bring value and life and thats why I choose to carry them with me.
Here are 8 purposeful things I pack & how it brings value in my life
1. What I pack for hobbies:
Yoga mat, long board, climbing gear, and my ukulele.
Why I pack for my hobbies: My travels are slow and usually last more than a few months in a new place.
I’m a big believer that our professional lives should be balanced with hobbies and/or activities besides work, so having things that would allow me to enjoy my hobbies is super, uber important.
2. What I pack to minimize waste:
My Miir water bottle, food canister, a tote bag, & humangear spork.
Why I pack to minimize waste: Around the time I started traveling, I started to notice how much plastic waste vacation spots and hospital cafeterias make.
It convinced me to learn more and do my share to recycle, reduce, reuse, and refurbish what I have instead of using materials that will end up in the trash for years.
Also, this means traveling slowly with a purpose to places that are less glamorized by the travel scene.
3. What I pack to keep warm:
Light weight blanket (Coaltree) and towel made from my old t-shirts, and my winter coats (Columbia, Cotopaxi, North Face, Zara trench coat).
Why I pack to keep warm: Because I’m always cold…duh. I carry two neutral color and two bright colored coats depending on the occasion.
They vary in how warm they keep you so I can layer if I need to.
My friend made a towel out of all my t-shirts. She’s the owner of handmade baby clothing.
5. What I pack to stay mentally and physically healthy:
Aroma diffuser, face mask, vitamins, my
bible, journal, smudge stick, & I buy a plant
to keep in my room
once I’m settled.
Why I pack to stay mentally healthy: I’m learning to manage stress and anxiety by learning how to take care of my body and mind. I started this by journaling for an entire month about my body and mind: how I felt, what I ate, how I reacted.
Doing this showed me that every month I feel a certain way. So, I researched my symptoms and feelings and learned that they are common to us women and there are ways to counteract them.
That’s why this list is probably my favorite because it allows me to stay mentally healthy and centered wherever I am.
4. What wardrobe I pack:
Shoes, pants, & a black dress a few of each. I wear scrubs to work which makes life easier. And I find places to
fix old
clothes
or shoes as well.
Why I choose a capsule wardrobe: Keeping my pants neutral in color and my tops colorful, I’m able to carry less while maintaining a stylish look every day.
I also have a rule to let go of one item for every new purchase.
6. What I pack to stay enlightened:
Books, journals, & my
laptop.
Why I pack to stay enlightened: Reading and writing has been an invigorating practice. This summer I participated in a writing challenge where I woke up every day before work and journaled.
It really opened up my eyes that I really love to write and share my thoughts.
7. What I pack to stay organized:
Packing cubes, Cotopaxi bag, Away
hard-shell luggage,
& Macy’s bag.
Why I pack to stay organized: These items allow me to stay organized and transition from one place to the next seamlessly.
8. Why I pack to be minimalistic: Slow travel + Slow living + Staying present
Making bread: I don't pack flour, pans, and cookbooks I just know doing those things makes me happy so I find ways to make it happen while traveling. After living in Rome for two months and learning to cook Italian dishes I made it a point to try to cook from scratch and bake bread every weekend.
Every morning I get to enjoy a peanut butter and honey sandwich made with homemade bread by my two hands and a slow brewed coffee made in my yellow Moka pot. Eating and drinking food that I made is always a source of enjoyment of the simple things.
Growing my own vegetable: Also after my trip to Naples I visited an urban garden I was inspired to grow my own herbs. I was in Boston in the spring time and grew some mint, sage, basil, and tomatoes in pots. Sometimes travel (or life) has a tendency to make time go by fast.
That’s why I enjoy anything that seems to slow time, like watching tomatoes bud or the dough I kneaded rise. It shows me that every good thing needs time to be perfect, and through that process, I’m left to slow down and stay present.
Thanks for taking the time to read my version of minimalism. I know the internet is saturated with like stories, but it means a lot that you took your precious time to read my version.I’ll leave you with a thoughtful quote.
““Buying things, owning things, consuming things isn’t wrong or bad or unhealthy.
Our tendency to rely on consumption for balance, for nourishment, for happiness, however, can be. Or at the very least, it can be antagonistic to our personal goals and ambitions.””
Have you thought about minimizing? Would love to hear an example of what you minimized and how its helped simplify your life.
