The Lightness Of Being
What I’m Bringing, What I’m Leaving
The biggest perk of traveling light is not physical. Yes, flying without checked bags and being able to quickly pack in a pinch have certainly taken a load off my shoulders. But, the best part of traveling light has been the weight it has taken off my mind.
Backpacking through both forests and foreign streets has shown me how little I need to survive. I've read my fair share of spiritual teachings professing that living simply and detaching from material possessions is the key to happiness. But let’s be real — I also love my stuff. A campfire guitar, a colorful hat, or a pair of solid basketball shoes can all be tools for experiences. I've learned that the joy of minimal living is not about acknowledging the lack of stuff in my life; it’s about celebrating having just the right amount.
On this trip, I have a few luxury items. For example, my portable speakers are unnecessary from a survival perspective, but they've contributed to my well-being and so I've chosen to bear their weight. How can I decide what is worth holding on to and what is weighing me down? I try to start with the bare minimum and then intentionally build up. With each item I choose to add to my pack, I ask myself whether it will truly enrich my experience or just fulfill the fleeting rush of acquisition.
On the whole, I have found that experiential purchases provide far more pleasure than material purchases. The memory of experiences can improve with time, but material purchases often have diminishing returns to scale. The more clothes or toys or apps I have, the less utility I get from each one. Also, experiences are often social, and thus are investments in relationships. For me, relationships will always contribute more to long-lasting happiness than possessions.
Worrying about fewer possessions has also freed up room for me to “worry” about other things. I like to think that we start each day with a full watering can of mental capacity. As the day goes on, each decision we make uses up a bit of our finite supply. These small daily decisions can definitely add up. On the road, where I’m trying to absorb as much as I can everyday, I could use all the sponge space I can get!
“It all depends on whether you have things, or they have you.”
Simply,
Simo
