Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
This week, I’m happy to feature Christa from South Africa, who explains how a housing transition made her fall in love with small space living.
Christa writes:
My Minimalist AHA-Moment
The idea of small space living has always appealed to me. I remember as a singleton buying books on the subject, feverishly doing research on campervan living and imagining a life by the sea – something along the lines of the Joshua Kadison song ”A little trailer by the sea – you the cat and me”.
Then marriage and life rolled along and with it came the trapping of stuff. Loads and loads of stuff. Doubles and triples of things you never even knew you needed when two lives become one.
Fast forward the milestone birthday of my husband. The Big 50. We decided to celebrate this passage of life with a cruise to the Mediterranean. With this coincided the sale of our house and in our minds we boxed up everything, kept clothes and living essentials aside for a summer cruise holiday and a summer work wardrobe, and promptly moved in with my parents while waiting for the house transfer to go through and for the house renovations to be completed.
Needless to say, six months down the line we are still living with my parents, in a 3x3m room while dealing with all the trials and tribulations of an illegal squatter who refuses to move out of our house, and the pleasures of renovating the cottage and office in the meantime.
The light at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching as the renovations are heading for completion, but the best we took from this experience is how little we actually need to live on. It has since turned winter and we had to pick up a winter jacket and jersey or two from storage (I am sadly still looking for my boots), but guess what? We are absolutely fine and are coping with the suitcase full of clothes and shoes we originally packed for the summer vacation and few days of work.
I can’t wait to move into the new house and tackle the endless boxes of clothing and shoes. I can’t wait to follow the KonMari method of holding the piece of clothing up and asking myself if I truly love it and if it will add joy to my life. We have downsized and have moved into the one bedroom cottage on the property in the meantime, but with all the little luxuries you can wish for: a real fireplace, an alley of a backyard filled with hours of sunlight. Big Eucalyptus trees grace the front entrance and our big daybed has already found its place underneath. The TV hasn’t been hooked up yet, but spending time with the Great Dane, Border Collie and Maltese Poodle more than makes up for the mindless energy spent on flipping between channels with still nothing much to watch.
I may still be a virgin at the minimalist mind set, but as many things in life it takes one step at a time. Sometimes it takes a total shake up of not being able to live in your own home for six months to integrate into a new system of doing and believing.
I don’t recommend the same route we followed – it’s nerve wrecking on the best of days – but be on the lookout for your AHA moment. It may be hidden under the seven pairs of jeans.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or joining my email list.}
I guess it can be nerve racking to know how you would like to live and set up your home and not be able to do so. Playing the joyous scenarios in your head only to be delayed. Just hold on a little more you are almost there ;-)
OMG! Isn’t life interesting? We just never know what the journey holds for us. I was really moved by this post. I can only imagine all the different lessons you have learned through this terrible experience which will only lead to greater joy in the end.
Be comforted in the knowledge that God can take any negative thing and turn it to our benefit in the end.
This is a good saga of two people’s path toward minimalism, but I found myself wanting more details. The house sale came up early in the story, but we were left to figure out that there was also a house purchase. How big was the house they sold? How big is the dream house they’re building (or renovating, it’s not entirely clear)? All we really know about the latter is that there’s a one-bedroom cottage on the property that they’ve moved into temporarily; but I can’t help wondering if the main house is much bigger, able to hold lots of stuff even if they choose to live with less.
Ultimately, this whetted my interest but left me unsatisfied.
Like Kara, I want to better understand your story… Whose house was the squatter in? Did they leave? Did the original house sell? Which house is being renovated? Are you still living with your parents? Where does the one bedroom cottage fit in? Need more! I don’t mean to sound critical, I just feel like the story isn’t finished :)
LOVE this line: be on the lookout for your AHA moment. It may be hidden under the seven pairs of jeans
You might have left out the details in this story (some comments have asked the questions I wondered too) but I took away how excited you are to get to that light at the end of the tunnel. Your journey’s just starting and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Still laughing at ‘a virgin at the minimalist mindset’
Hi Christa
Greetings from a fellow South African. I love how often something seemingly negative reveals itself to be really positive! Sure, you have red tape to deal with, but you discovered a new path in the process. A path, I can tell from my own experience, that can only lead to more time, more happiness, and a lot less stress. Good luck on your journey. :)
Hey Christa… LOVE that song. Has been my ringtone for some time.
Happy minimising :o)
I have been a minimalist for many years. People give me art materials, clothing, and jewelry. I sort everything and only keep what I think I will use. If six months to by and I haven’t used the items, I give them away. I just gave away two bags to the local food pantry. They want T shirts and shorts. Then I filled a bag for Goodwill. I gave a stack of books to the library. I try to own very little.