How do minimalism and travelling go together? Can travelling be a form of minimalism?
I recently read Fumio Sasaki’s book called Goodbye, Things about minimalism. And there it was! An example of minimalism is when you pack your essentials and go to a hotel. Then you feel happy, you are away from everything you “should” be doing, e.g. cleaning your closet, vacuuming and so on. And you have only the things that you really want and need with you.
So travelling is a way of minimalism as it makes you think about what you really need. It is similar to when I managed for 4 months in Seoul and almost two weeks in Tokyo with one suitcase and one carry-on. I only packed the things I really needed and liked. As for taking only the things I like, this was a tip I got from a friend: take only the things you really like with you. Otherwise you bring clothes that are uncomfortable and just take up the space.
Even though I managed with one suitcase and four seasons in Asia, I still had a lot of things back home in Finland. So I decided to go through all the things when I got back to Finland. Still, it is quite difficult to get rid of everything. But to every once in a while think about what you really need and go through the things. This I actually have been doing since I can remember (moving a lot has also helped with this).
Minimalism and travelling make people happy.
I listened to an interview last year on Skavlan (an interview program) and there a woman, that had to move a lot because of her work, said that she has three fake plants she takes with her to every place she stays at. And when she then puts these plants out, that place then becomes her home. This is also an example of minimalism and travelling combined as the flowers are still important to her and she needs them when she is moving.
Travelling for 11 nights and 12 days in the summer in Europe was no problem at all. Of course weather has its pros and cons in this question as I think managing when it is winter on only carry-on is a bit more challenging than travelling during summertime.
Minimalism and shopping while travelling
I used to buy a shot glass from every country I visited. I had a vision to then have a big party where everyone has a glass from every place – it can then work as an ice-breaker or overall conversation piece (like why the German one is much larger than the French).
Nowadays I do not buy that much from the places I go to. I do not want to anymore. If I see clothes I really like I buy them, but buying souvenirs? Not really my thing. I rather gather experiences and photos that makes the memories than have a fridge full of magnets.
I also follow Joshua and Ryan on Instagram and there they share interesting perspectivs about minimalism in different part of ones life. Go follow them or watch the documentary on Netflix if you wish to learn more.
What other things do minimalism and travelling have in common? Both make people happy. Travelling makes you see things in a new way and is very enriching. And minimalism on the other hand lets you be free and not controlled by the things you own.
Any thoughts?