Less Is More (part 1)
Back in May, Phil and I went through EVERYTHING in our house and kept only what was of use or special to us. After a very successful garage sale and Goodwill trip, we thought we had downsized quite a bit. Ha! Yeah, I realized moving into storage how much stuff we still had. How do 2 people acquire so much stuff! I was able to pull out a few more things to donate but everything else I need, he needs, or we love <--- like all my eclectic art! And all my gorgeous fashion finds!
I cried packing away my favorite pieces. My memories. I knew that moving into an RV would require me to have only what I need. I'm a girl, I need SO much!! I was anxious and nervous...
Fast forward, here I am in an RV with less than I've ever had in my life (for the most part). And to be honest, I feel more full than you can imagine. Do I miss my "stuff"? YES! But it's kind of cool having one cabinet of dishes, one cupboard for supplies, and 3 shallow drawers for utensils, towels, and misc items. I have only what I need. Why do we think we need so much anyway? Do you know that when I cleaned out the house, we had 17 spatulas!? I'm not kidding, SEVENTEEN! Now I have two. And I really only use one. I have a big pan and little pan and one pot. I carry 4 plates and bowls, but I use 2 <--- never know when I'll throw a dinner party ;)
And I actually have a ton of room! I mean, I have TWO bikes in my "garage" !!!
My "office" hangs on the back of a seat.
My kitchen table turns into a guest bed.
My microwave doubles as a convection oven!
Sometimes I get frustrated with having such a small shower. If I could change anything, it's that. I have to shave standing up with nowhere to even balance myself. I hit my head or elbow on my shower organizer every...single...day. And the water pressure sucks. Not to mention, if I hang out too long, my hot water runs cold. The average person spends 62.4 hours a year in the shower. With over 8,000 hours in a year, I feel like that's a small amount of time to "deal with it" though so I do.
I also hate having to go somewhere to do laundry. Laundry day used to be scrubbing the house day too so it all happened simultaneously. Now, I have to make a trip across the parking lot, hang out, and make a whole adventure out of it. It's really off putting. I think I'll invite myself to your house weekly and do laundry while I cook your family dinner. That's fair, right?
You know what DOES happen though? I eat SO much healthier. There's no room for extra junk! I buy what I need for the week and that's it. No hidden chocolate, no extra chips, no secret stash. I also spend a lot more time outside, either playing with Jake or just enjoying the outside.
I also spend WAYYY less time worrying about yard work <--- do you remember how long it took me to mow that dang yard, uphill!? I spend WAYYY less time cleaning and putting away and organizing. Here, everything has it's place and everything has a use. Oh, and the yard gets mowed for me ;) I have also found I spend less time driving ~ I haven't figured this one out yet ??
So far, living in an RV is great. I feel stable and organized yet able to ramble freely and chaotically.
I feel not only Freeda Wander <--- see what I did there?!?, but I feel free from stuff and things. I feel like I have more time to focus on people, experiences, and making memories. Yeah, I'm happy and looking forward to what's next and then next and then next and then... ADVENTURE!!!
Less is truly more - there is beauty in simplicity.
And next up (part 2) in RV life: organizing small spaces!! <--- p.s. I'm an organizational management business major so... you can imagine my joy in all this ;) ;)