A Simpler Life

Now that we are coming closer to the end of our stay in Madrid, our blog entries will likely be more reflective compositions on our experiences thus far. My thoughts today are on life here without cell phones and the other little simplicities we have embraced. As frequent readers know, Trisha and I began our travel year by downsizing most of the things in our lives. We sold both cars, gave up our apartment, boxed up all our possessions, and packed two suitcases for the entire duration of our trip (which we hope will be at least 8 months). The initial outlook on this life-altering course was one of uncertainty, as we had been comfortably stable in our normal lives. Making changes like these appeared drastic, and in a broad sense somewhat scary. What would we do without our cell phones? What would it be like having a limited set of clothing? Can life be done with no personal transportation? I can’t answer those questions in our former situation, but on the road it has been extremely liberating. Trisha and I have both enjoyed the absence of the things we relied on heavily at home.

The lack of cell phone or any phone outside of Skype, for example, has been most agreeable with us. Trisha did not anticipate the ease at which she could simple drop her contacts and regular phone communication. I think this was made easy by the fact that our main contacts in the past were each other. If we were heavy users, this might be a different story. As for transportation, we are blessed to be in a city where public transportation is accessible, clean, and reliable. It had been pleasant not worrying about gas prices or the little car expenses we normally dealt with. I thought I may miss the little perks of driving, but so far I haven’t. When we think of all our stuff in the Pomona storage unit, there is nothing we are missing outside of our bikes. Packing for this trip at the end of the summer was on my mind often and Trisha’s mind constantly. It was difficult to grasp the idea of living out of one bag each. The thought of picking the right clothing and repeating it often was something we had never experienced. This too has been much easier than anticipated. Our bags are easy to pack, it’s fun to mix and match clothes, and I find I don’t lose items as much as I did at home. Even Trisha has embraced her limited wardrobe, and is more appreciative of the clothing that she does have.

So what does this all mean in the long run? From a travel standpoint, we anticipate continuing to enjoy these simplicities throughout our months away from home. Beyond our travels, there is something compelling about this lifestyle that invites you to embrace it somewhat, or equally back home in more permanent environments. Is it possible for us (Travis and Trisha - I’m not preaching here) to live without automobiles, or with one at the most? Can we go about our daily lives without always having a cell phone connected to us? How content are we with what we currently own? These are questions that I would love to answer now to reflect how I’m feeling about our current lifestyle. The reality is that whenever we do become established again, the pressures to get more, the rapidness of our schedules, and the need to be connected at all times may outweigh these experiences. It’s sad to think about, but going counter to normal living is very difficult, particularly in a major U.S. city.

We will continue to live our somewhat simple life this year and hope to learn new and challenging lessons from it. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a unique change of pace from the normal rush.