Travel Light

My thought of the week was born a few weeks ago when I ran into a friend of mine who had recently completed the CDT (Continental Divide Trail). I had been following his trip which involved four months of solo hiking. About five years ago, he completed the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) which runs from Mexico to Canada, another amazing feat. So when I saw him, I stopped to welcome him back to the desert and asked how he was settling in. We got into a great conversation about being overwhelmed by people and things, as well as how parts of the trip went. He said initially it was all about finding the perfect gear...lightweight and efficient. He was traveling without a cook stove and ate everything raw and would binge on cooked foods when he came into towns.

As the journey progressed, he realized that he needed less and less. He then said, "We pack what we fear". I asked him to explain more fully as I was completely intrigued by this statement. Basically, he said, you pack more food if you think you'll be hungry, more water if you think you'll be thirsty and more clothes, well, just in case. It's the "just in case" scenario that begins to weigh you down. He said the lighter he became he recognized how resourceful he was and could be completely self-reliant.

It reminded me of the time I spent six months backpacking through Africa. I had minimum clothes: two pairs of shorts, two t-shirts, lightweight pants, raincoat, a pair of heavier pants, visor, some underwear, a bathing suit, and a sarong. We had some cooking gear (no stove), tent, Swiss Army knife, a sleeping bag, and mat but not much else. I had bought a one-way ticket to Harare, Zimbabwe and had no plans. I've told many people that those months were the freest I've ever felt in my life. It was light and I had no agenda or expectation.

Humans have been walking this earth since time began, often as nomads which meant that traveling light was essential. We've lost touch with this part of our DNA with our Western culture as having less is often equated with being unsuccessful. We stuff ourselves full of things in search of connection or approval. So when I hear about my friends hiking adventures, I can relate to the simplicity it offers and, in turn, the reconnection it can bring.

Another sign to travel light came to me recently when my sister, niece, husband and I were at my Mother's house preparing it for an estate sale. Mom has dementia and is in an assisted living facility so it's time to manage the house that we grew up in and where she lived in for 54 years. It was overwhelming as Mom is an organized pack-rat. Every possible place that something could be stored was filled. As we donated bags of clothing, my niece begged my sister (her Mom) to not do this to her. 

Lastly, my husband and I are downsizing so we have put our house on the market to find something smaller and, in the process, have been decluttering. Both of us agree that having less clutter feels good and we intend not to refill the house with anything, if possible. 

As I've been working on simplifying my life over the past three years, one of the starting points was decluttering. It began in a small way and has progressed to making bigger changes. So my thought of the week is to ask ourselves when we're bringing something into our lives, do we need it? Do we love it? If the answer is yes, then go for it! If the answer is no, then begin to explore why you're saying yes to it. It may be a physical item or saying yes to a commitment of some kind. One of the presenters in my "Simple Year" course spoke about getting out of credit card debt. One of her experiments was to not buy anything new for a year. Yep...a whole year beyond the necessities (food, shelter). I have tried this experiment for a month and it has been much easier by decreasing the amount of browsing done to websites, particularly ones that offer incentives for joining their email list. Buy another item and get free shipping, receive an extra 10% off etc...you know the deal. Upshot-unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe!

Ultimately this leads to another possible blog topic of conscious consumerism. The more conscious we become of our behaviors the more we can find peace in our choices. 

So, are you about to hit that "purchase" button? Pause and think if it will lighten your load and help you travel more easily through life. Now that's a challenge!