2 Suitcases — My Minimalism Experiment

sarah wittman
Aug 22, 2017 · 2 min read

About a week ago, I moved from my home state of Wisconsin to my new home of Los Angeles. I had about a month to pack, plan, and say my goodbyes. I’ve spent the last couple months diving into the world of minimalism, spending hours watching videos and reading books and blogs. I’ve always been one to enjoy shopping and spending on things to fill empty spaces. Through minimalism, I’ve learned to cherish the empty space, and learn to appreciate what is important and to get rid of what is not. After I bought my plane ticket to LA, I realized I had a big project ahead of me. All that I bring to LA has to fit in two suitcases. Not only that, but the suitcases have to be under 50 lbs each. This task seemed a lot more manageable and almost fun before I started. I was in way over my head.

To make a long story short, here is my list of items I brought in my suitcase.

  1. 2 blankets — This might sound silly for southern California, but if you have ever been around me for more than 20 minutes, you probably have heard me say “I’m cold.”
  2. 15 pairs of shoes — Lots of sacrificed boots, but I think I made the right choices. I’m sure Goodwill will appreciate the shoes more than me, anyways.
  3. 3 books — Kim Kardashian’s “Selfish” of course, Sophia Amoruso’s “Nasty Galaxy” because its so beautiful, and Brendon Burchard’s “The Motivation Manifesto” which I highly recommend.
  4. My skateboard — This fit very awkwardly in my suitcase, would not recommend. Probably should’ve just brought on the plane as a personal item.
  5. Makeup — Three makeup bags worth, this also included all my hair care and shower stuff. A lot of sacrifices were made to fit. My palettes will be missed.
  6. Clothes — I could go into great detail about this, but I’m going to just say that I only teared up twice from frustration. Hope Goodwill is good to you, lost but never forgotten.
  7. Technology — Not too much was brought with me, just my laptop, chargers, and camera.
  8. Lightbulbs — I’ve invested too much money into cool colored and bluetooth lightbulbs to just not bring them.
  9. Kanye West poster — Is anyone surprised?
  10. Halloween costumes — I shouldn’t have to explain this one.
  11. Sharpies — Still haven’t used, like, any of them. But I still needed them.

Honorable Mentions — I reaaallllly wanted to bring these but I just could not fit them. If I could’ve, I would’ve. These are currently in my mom’s house so I can someday bring them here.

  1. Waffle maker
  2. Yoga mat
  3. Lots of books
  4. Wall decor
  5. My family
  6. Walter, the best cat in the world

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sarah wittman

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we don't cause trouble, we don't bother nobody | LA

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