5 years ago, if you told me that today I’d be a minimalist living in a van, I would’ve laughed my ass off and said, “No way!” Living in van? Maybe—at least temporarily. But Minimalism? Isn’t that for people who like modern furniture and dress all in black and white? That’s definitely not me.

For years Tom talked about living in a tiny home. I was adamant that we couldn’t live that way. We needed space, and a giant dining room table, and 10 years’ worth of zombie Halloween costumes shoved into our closet.

It turns out that I was super wrong…and I guess that makes Tom right (insert slightly begrudging eye roll here). In the end we didn’t need much of anything at all.

Closets Full of Zombie Costumes

We did the things in life we thought were supposed to equal success—jobs that turned into careers and property ownership. Along the way we also acquired debt and a whole lot of stuff. What we discovered, was that these things only gave us temporary satisfaction. Well, except for our zombie bride and groom costumes—those were pretty damn satisfying.

I’m certainly not saying there’s anything wrong with careers or owning a home. Those are some very good things to aspire to and we’re incredibly grateful that we had the opportunity to experience them. For us, the problem was that we weren’t being honest with ourselves and seeking our true desires.

We had chosen a prescribed path that focused on monetary achievements and the accumulation of objects. We purchased things in an attempt to justify the time we spent working, but these things didn’t provide us with any lasting fulfillment. Instead we had acquired a house full of empty objects.

It Started with Travel…Sort Of

If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll know that our journey to this new minimalist lifestyle actually started with a budget. If you haven’t read that story yet, check it out—there’s even a guide about how to create your own budget and get out of debt.

After we learned to take control of our finances and make thoughtful purchases, we started talking about what we really wanted in life (heavy, I know). We realized that a big house, filled with more stuff wasn’t going to make us any happier than we already were. If fact, it would likely make us less happy because we’d have more things to worry about. We’ve always loved experiencing new places and for years had dreamed about travelling long-term. We decided it was time to make this happen.

Seeking Less – Our Minimalism Journey

Budgeting made us start transitioning to a simpler less-cluttered life. We purchased things intentionally. Before buying something, we would ask ourselves whether it was truly needed.

I was also inspired by reading The Man Who Quit Money. I read it long before minimalism was something I could relate to, but it opened my eyes to the enormous waste in our society. It made me think about the real things we need to be fulfilled in life and realize that we control how we spend our time and energy. By seeking more things, we were acquiring more complications and anxiety.

We realized that we were happiest when we spent time outdoors with only what we could carry on our backs. We were happiest when we were pushing ourselves physically and mentally to accomplish something we hadn’t done before. We were happiest when we had the least amount of stuff.

As we honed-in our travel plans and decided to live in a van, it became apparent that we wouldn’t have a place of our own with space for stuff. We needed to purge in a big way. Instead of looking at what we’d get rid of, we looked at what we’d keep. Only things that were genuinely special to us or would be used in our new lifestyle stayed, everything else had to go…even the zombie costumes.

It took us a few months of donating and selling to pare down our possessions, but as each item went out the door it felt like a weight being lifted and a step closer to new adventures. A year later, we still don’t miss any of those things.

What Next?

We’re about to embark on a 3-month trip to Europe with only our backpacks and each other. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t somewhat scary and intimidating. It will be the longest we’ve ever been out of the country and we won’t have our home on wheels—Stan the Tan Van. I’m a notorious over-packer so figuring out how to pack for 3-months of travel will be a new minimalism challenge.

My preconceived notions of minimalism couldn’t have been more wrong. It ended up not being about a lack of stuff, but about what’s gained when you remove the unnecessary from your life.

By removing so many “things” from our lives we also found that we removed distractions. What we’re left with are opportunities for change and growth. We’re already gaining new perspectives, knowledge, and a greater sense of gratitude. These are things that all the stuff in the world never would have given us.

Has anyone else out there thought about minimalism? Why would you or would you not want to live this way?

Related Posts:

• How to Create a Budget and Travel the World (part I of our minimalism/nomadic journey)
• How to Disconnect from Things
• How to Build a Camper Van on a Budget

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