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The Minimalist Life Cleanse: Revisiting your journey to a simpler life.
The minimalist life cleanse series was a guide to introducing a simpler way of living. At wherever you are on your journey, lets revisit the purpose of the series...
The Minimalist Life Cleanse: Revisiting your journey to a simpler life
Many months ago I shared my interest in minimalism, via a series of 3 posts, giving advice on how to simplify different aspects of your life to achieve a more minimalist life.
What Does Minimalist Mean?
The term has been associated with interior design, and the idea of having simple furnishings, only a few decorative details and a paired-back palette of colour. It was style that was focused on achieving peace, simplicity and functionality within the home.
These days, the word has become synonymous with a movement and a lifestyle choice, not simply a style of decoration.
Legions of people are retraining their thought patterns, steering themselves away from their consumerist nature, and just generally learning to live with less possessions. Some people go as far to apply minimalism to all areas of their life, simplifying everything from their social circle to their career choice.
The minimalism life cleanse focuses on this idea somewhat because you can't really achieve long-lasting minimalism in just one area of your life without giving attention to the others.
The series was launched a fair few months ago so I thought it might be time to encourage anyone who followed it back then, or has only recently found it, to revisit the core message of the series.
So lets take stock of where you're at on your minimalist journey and revisit the steps from Stage 1, 2 and 3.
The Home
How tidy is your personal space? Does it feel a joy to be in?
Consider your wardrobe. How many items of the clothing have you worn more than once in the last 6 months? How many items in there have you not even touched in that time?
When did you last empty out your pantry or fridge? How many items do you have stockpiled which keep getting pushed to the back of the cupboards and never used?
How many shampoo's and conditioners have you amassed, all with just a little bit left at the bottom? When did you last look in your bathroom storage and consider reducing you cosmetic products down to just your absolute favourites?
If you previously discarded a lot of your possessions, consider if your spaces remain cleansed, useful and organized. Have certain corners or surfaces begun acquiring new clutter, or are you still yet to remove all the things you originally intended to?
Are you tidying up more regularly, and if so, is that a sign that you still have a lot of clutter to discard?
Spend an hour moving through your home, and note any areas which need harsher de-cluttering; sort through the belongings slowly, discarding a few items a day in the very least.
Your home can collect clutter amid a busy life, but taking a morning or an afternoon to re-assess your space really can lead to much less stress in the long-run. An ordered space which works well for your needs will not require as much maintenance so will free up some time and energy for other things!
Read about how de-cluttering your home can benefit your mind here!
The Wallet
It's all too easy to see the process of simplifying your life as an opportunity to acquire more, maybe to replace old and thrown away items.
However it somewhat defeats the purpose to replace the things you have successfully gotten rid of and are able to live without. You should only be replacing things when the absolute need arises.
When did you last create a budget, or list your spending? Do you know off the top of your head how much money is in your current account and savings? How far along are you on debt repayments, and are you throwing as much as you can each month, not just making the minimum payment?
Consider the last five items you purchased (bar food). Where are they now, did they serve a purpose, and will they continue to be useful in the future? Are your daily spending decisions focused on instant gratification or delayed?
Are you making bill payments on time, and are you stretching your budget (if you've even made one) to last between pay-day's? Do you dig into your savings to make up unexpected short-falls or to pay for random indulgences?
Do you feel as if you are getting what you want out of your life with the funds you have, or are you still making frivolous spending decisions that leave you wanting?
The way you view money and the ease with which you part with it will determine so much of the clutter in your life. Financial over-stretching, a home rife with objects and the worry of having little financial security, this can all be simplified and eased with more mindful spending decisions.
Read more about overhauling your spending here!
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The Mailbox
- It might be time to hit that unsubscribe button again, because somewhere along the way you may have given out your email address and are now receiving more useless emails destined never to be read.
- Stop ignoring all those unread emails; implement the 'read, delete, reply or move' rule, which is quite simply going to keep your inbox nice and clean. I created folders corresponding to different topics and I move non-urgent or follow-up emails to those folders, or I delete the email.
- Back-up the thousands of photos on your phone to clear the decks and free up some storage space on your devices. The anxiety attached with losing our phones is only heightened when we allow them to hold our precious memories in an intangible and vulnerable form.
Review your social media and consider if you are really getting that much out of following so many people on twitter or seeing every post into that face-bay group on Facebook. Streamline your feed and reduce the amount of different subjects and people vying for your precious time and attention.
Did you stick to the idea of only having the most useful apps on your devices, or have you been pulled in by appealing looking ones which now sit idle and forgotten? Delete any apps you haven't used for a month and move your most used into organized folders.
The nature of our electronic habits can lead to divided attention, split across numerous distractions. If we can reduce the number of outlets vying for our attention across our social media and devices, then we can get back some focus and true relaxation.
Read more on simplifying your online world here!
The minimalist life cleanse isn't really a one-off act; it is a conscious effort and a way of approaching all areas of your life, that just like an exercise regime or a diet, can fall by the wayside.
Its important not to beat yourself up if you feel that maybe the initial thrill of simplifying has died off, and you are going back to old habits.
But it's also important to remember the enthusiasm you felt when you first followed the steps from stage 1, 2 and 3, when you tackled the many facets of your life which weren't bringing anything good to the table.
You can definitely get back to that mindset, one where your life is not paired down or dull, but enriched with quality objects, interests and interactions.
You can create a home and a daily routine that can be purposeful and peaceful at the same time, building a solid foundation for reaching your goals in the rest of your life.
Next to read: Life After De-Cluttering: Finding Fullfillment In Simplicity.
By the way, before you leave, I recently released my book, Minimalism: Cleanse Your Life, Become A Calmer Person, available NOW! It's a more in-depth guide to de-cluttering your home, organizing your life, refining your spending habits and simplifying your relationship with your technology:
After more Minimalism Inspiration?
Thanks for reading!
Want more reads like this? You can now find Hannah in her own online space, Good Intentions. Minimalism, mindfulness, conscious living and self-love; all the good stuff centred around being kinder to yourself, and kinder to the world.
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![I Believe We Can Fly [I believe we just touched the sky]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1453896991499-W0TQ4403CXK2O6NGHVED/image-asset.jpeg)
I Believe We Can Fly [I believe we just touched the sky]
"he finally woke up, rising to his feet, clearly utterly oblivious to what had just happened."
I Believe We Can Fly - I Believe We Just Touched The Sky
At home in the U.K., Taran took me indoor skydiving and paragliding, whereas I made him do something he never wanted to do, and that was a bungee jump.
So naturally we had to take the thrills up a notch in Australia, with Taran adamant that a real outdoor skydive was going to happen, despite my flat-out refusal.
It wasn't so much the heights, or flying, that was off-putting to me, just the part when you manoeuvrer yourself to the edge of an open door, thousands of feet off the ground, which seemed beyond extreme....
Well, it took ten months but he finally got it booked and paid for, and there was no going back. I had agreed to do this and only 2 days before the event.
We used the Australian website, book me, to locate the best deal, but we knew we wanted to jump near or over Fraser Island. Working there for 2 months, we naturally developed a connection with the place, and this felt like a cool and almost symbolic way to wrap up that phase of our travels. Plus its a beautiful part of the Queensland coast!
Skydive Hervey Bay were the ones we chose, and we are so glad we did. Great reviews online plus competitive rates were good enough, but Pete and his team were also a solidly friendly and exuberant bunch, who put us at ease immediately. It's hard to be super happy at 7.45am on a Monday, and it's surely hard to be enthusiastic after 6000 jumps, but these guys made us feel good way before the dive.
Soon after arriving, we were into our harnesses, tightened around our legs and shoulders, as we went over the jump procedure. Then came the walk to the tiny plane, just the 5 of us including the pilot and our two jump buddy's. Leaving the ground along the runway, which we have travelled on with Air Fraser, it felt familiar and definitively okay. No nerves just yet. Taking off up into the plush white clouds, we travelled across Hervey Bay and toward Fraser and the ocean. The clouds created giant shadows across the water, the sun glinting off the rest of the blue-green expanse.
There was some mild turbulence as we passed through some thick marshmallow formations, and then it was time for a pre-dive recap...Taran is pulled onto Pete's lap, and attached tightly to him. I am too, and notice how the tight the pull is across my waist; it's all good, it reassured me that the jump wouldn't go like this.
Pete shouted some numbers to the pilot, co-ordinates of where we would jump from I assume, over the din of the loud engines. Then came the great whoosh of reality, as the door was levered open, and we were suddenly not just on a plane ride. This plane was landing without us.
Taran pulled his legs out of the door, dangling out the edge, and suddenly, he was gone!
I couldn't really take in the cartoon-like blue and white outside. I just stared numbly at the empty space on the plane floor, which I soon filled as my instructor shuffled us to the edge. I pulled my resistant feet out of the hole, pulled my hands across my chest, and tilted my chin up. My survival instincts were clearly switched off, and I felt mildly zombie-like, forcing my limbs to hang out a tiny object suspended in the air.
And then we were out! Rolling, spinning, then flattening out into the free-fall, hands moved out to the side, peter pan style. I had expected a strong mighty wind in my face, making breathing a tad hard, but amidst the assault on my senses, I felt quite peaceful. My fear dissipated, and a little voice in my head told me to take it all in, marvel at this true sea-view, and love every second...
All too soon the parachute deployed safely and I was gently gliding slowly down to earth. We spotted a dugong, or maybe a big dolphin, and I steered the parachute briefly. It was then I began to feel nauseous. I get motion sickness all too easily, so it was no surprise, but it did make me want to land faster. Soon enough we were speeding up and purposefully lowering, turning, and coming in to land, legs and bottom pushed up for a seated landing.
I sat there, very aware of the feeling of the sand beneath me, the hardness of being back on the ground, contrasted to the lightness of flying. I took a moment to gather myself, looking to the horizon and breathing deeply to relieve the sickness, when I looked over to Taran.
Slumped forward, limbs limp, Pete was trying to rouse him, speaking loudly to him, repeating his name and telling him to wake up.
I was very confused, and thought, if anyone was gonna take a funny a turn it would be me, and I would be mocked for weeks to come. But nope, Taran blacked out for about 2-3 minutes, which felt like an age. Such relief when he finally woke up, rising to his feet, clearly utterly oblivious to what had just happened. Once we were in the van, headed back to the base, Taran said “Yeah I felt very constricted by the harness, but nope, never fainted in my life” to which I got the trainer to confirm, yep mate, you did just faint.
He laughed in disbelief, as we recounted his little brain reboot session. Turns out Taran was struggling to breathe once the parachute deployed, his arms going numb, but he had managed to hold it together just enough to pull his legs up for landing, stand up, then sit down again, proceeding to switch off.
Relieved, exhilarated, a tiny bit sickly, but with a lazy satisfied smiles on our faces, we sat down as our awesome souvenir video's were edited. Oh yeah, they go-pro the whole thing, if it wasn't enough that they are being safe and making it the best dive experience possible, they also have to be camera-men.
Skydive Hervey Bay were so good to us, and it made something we were apprehensive about, not just a smooth and safe adventure, but they left a really great impression on us. Not everyone in Australia has treated us with much regard or respect, lumping us in the category of middle-class English small-minded loutish backpacker, following the crowd, will work for shit money and tolerate crap. But there's clearly some good guys out here, and luckily there the ones who push you out of planes.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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![Crying Over Big Fish [Whale-Watching on the Fraser Coast]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1441869208016-PHCZDEQGNHVP1GYVU811/image-asset.jpeg)
![Beauty Of Whitehaven [Photography]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1463710245921-SQIECQ2KDV2QQIZHZA27/IMG_0311.JPG)
Beauty Of Whitehaven [Photography]
2 days was enough for the island to show its beauty, but left us wanting more!
Beauty Of Whitehaven - Photography
We only had a short stay on Whitehaven Beach, 2 nights camping a few feet off the actual beach, but this was enough time to see the beauty that it had to offer!
Above is one end of the beach, and also where we camped ✌ We spotted stingrays and hundreds of fish while snorkelling around those rocks!
This was one of the only objects escaping the tree line, the beach was incredibly pure and clean.
No words can put into detail just how clear the water was here... So just look at that picture again :)
Wondering down the beach on the first evening I came across a small shrub attempting to rise from the white silica sands..
Something about this photo really grabs me, and I'm still not sure what it is.. But that is Hannah down in the water while one of the many tour boats stopped briefly at the beach.
Just after sunset on our second evening the sky turned an awesome salmon pink, the silhouette of the tree made an awesome picture so I just had to snap it!
Read more about our time on Whitehaven or check out some more awesome photography!
Which is your favourite photo?!
Let me know in the comments below :D
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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We Found Heaven on Earth (Whitehaven and the Whitsundays)
Camping on Whitehaven beach was a privilege and an amazing experience; we never wanted to leave!
We Found Heaven on Earth:Whitehaven and the Whitsunday's
There are corners of this world where the beauty is so pure and breathtaking, you find your anxieties, fears and your entire reality, disintegrate.
They're just too perfect, too natural and real, for any of your everyday concerns to matter. One corner that has had this affect upon us is Whitehaven Beach, the Whitsunday Islands.
Soft white silica sands, and a haven in every sense of the word, this sun-soaked azure paradise was somewhere we really wanted to visit before arriving in Australia.
Famous for the crystal waters, abundant with turtles, dolphins and other sea-life, if you only have a short time in Australia, it is a must-see.
We may have only just returned from a stunning island (Fraser, lower down the Queensland coast) but we knew this one would be special, so we headed here as soon as we could.
There are the usual backpacker tours that run all around the Whitsundays, most of which involve 2 days of island-hopping, with everyone crammed onto a boat, unable to experience anywhere for too long.
We got pursued by one of the tour salespeople whilst walking along Airlie Beach main street, vying for our business. He tried to say that you couldn't camp on Whitehaven, but we just smiled and walked off, knowing that the next morning we were booked onto a boat bound for the island, and the permits were all in place. Ignorant or just trying to fool us into handing over cash for the easy option of a backpacker tour, we were so glad that we had done our research into this place.
Getting the independence to camp on the beach seemed pretty amazing compared to spending $500 to share a tiny boat with 12 others, and only getting to spend around an hour at each destination.
We used a water taxi to get to Whitehaven (we used Scamper, who arranged permits for us, which cost $155 for a return trip, plus $40 for a camp kit which has everything 2 people might need, plus $15 for stinger suits) and pitched up for two nights in the small camping ground. By camp-ground I mean the patch of land set back only a few steps from the waters edge, with space for very few tents, sheltered by a smattering of trees, and frequently visited by guana's and wallabies.
The site itself is $5.50 per night, a standard permit cost in a national park in Australia, which is super reasonable considering you get the privilege of sleeping, eating, drinking (and using a relatively luxurious long-drop toilet) on one of the most pristine stretches of beach in the whole of Australia.
Some curious guanna's made their presence known straight away, trampling around the site to see what goodies we had brought.
During the day we snorkelled and just revelled in the beautiful warm ocean. At one point a boat which was anchored just off the shore, was also providing shelter to hundreds of little fish, all of whom went crazy for the fish feed that was thrown overboard at us!
We truly were away from it all, wrapped up in the quiet sounds of mother-nature, the gentle lapping of the ocean, an expanse so clear it doesn't feel real.
Hannah with a fish for a head!
In fact it feels so smooth and clean to swim in, it's a struggle to get out. Although you wear a full-body stinger suit if your going to swim out properly, as this area is notorious for the Irukanji, a deadly jellyfish. It may look a bit daft but the last thing you want on an island is sting!
I know its probably odd to bring a laptop to a deserted island, but I knew once the dark evening descended I'd probably feel inspired to talk about it all!
We were 3 of only 5 people in the camp-ground, and thus the only people on the whole island overnight, bar a few boats moored just off the shoreline, the only things punctuating the landscape with their lights and engine noise.
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DAY 2
On our second day we did a 2hr walk along the beach to reach the end point, a famous expanse of shallow waters often seen on postcards and mostly photographed from Hill Inlet. We didn't fancy the mountainous climb in our flip-flops so we just did a pleasant flat walk, followed up by more snorkelling.
We saw lots of stingrays but they are so flighty we could never get too close. We also saw some tiny sharks! Tiny as in the size of large fish as opposed to the size of a boat...
We both got a bit burnt on the walk back, the sun beating against our backs. We decided to brave a quick swim without our stinger suits and its just ridiculous how water can feel so smooth and soft.
That night after dark we walked again down to the edge of the sand, dipped our toes in the dark gentle waters, and just marvelled at the beauty around us. I even got a bit teary-eyed. It is simply stunning beyond what I could of expected or what I can get across. You really have to experience it to understand that its more than just a pretty beach.
So I guess you could say we quite liked Whitehaven, just a bit.... it truly has stolen our senses and given us some peace, if only for two days, but we'll probably think about it forever. It will be the happy place we go to in our minds when we're on another 13 hour coach ride (we travelled from Rainbow to Airlie overnight and our feet are still swollen from the long trip).
It truly is the most beautiful place we have seen in Australia, alongside the Blue Mountains and Port Stephens.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Is it Worth Quitting your Job To Travel?
Does hitch-hiking along a dusty road, backpack on and thumb out sound better than a safe drive to the shops and back?
Is it Worth Quitting your Job To Travel?
Some people spend years climbing a career-ladder, or studying, all in the pursuit of their dream job. Many of them invest a lot of time and energy into this pursuit, some foregoing other things, like families, relationships, and of course, travel. For many people the sacrifice can seem worth it.
This isn't the case for us however. Having both quit our jobs to travel the world, starting with exploring Australia for 2 years, we didn't feel like walking out on our jobs was the hardest thing to do, unlike others our age might feel.
We were not in careers that earned us much money; my job was working a few days a week making just enough money to pay rent, feed myself and save a little bit on the side.. I knew that I wanted change soon.
Hannah was in a different position, she ran her own dog walking business and loved it! But she too didn't like the thought of doing it for the rest of her life..
So leaving our jobs wasn't a big deal for us, but for many other people our age it is a different story. Once you get to your mid 20's most of us will have moved out of our parents homes and will be either paying rent or locked into a mortgage which makes things way harder.
That being said almost half a year in and we have managed to keep our expenses way down, which has meant we have had more time to explore without having to top up our funds with part time jobs. Our relatively small savings have been stretched to the limit!
We still cringe when other backpackers tell us how many thousands of dollars they have spent over the last few months on alcohol and partying..
That's not to say we don't like a drink, we just do it differently; a beer/cider from the bottle shop on the beach has always been a better option to us than a drink in a bar.
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Plan!
★ When it comes to saving, you don't have to follow the crowd and take out a loan to travel the world.. In fact you don't really need that much at all! Depending on your style of travel of course.. We have a taken every opportunity to save money; we hitch-hike, camp, couch-surf, drink tap water and eat cheaply! If you follow these tips and use your own common sense you should be able to make about 5000 AU Dollars last 6+ months easily!
Mike from NZ couch surfing with us!
★ Setting a date will cement things in your head and will really help you ramp up the saving and will also help you mentally plan for it. You're about to make a great decision that will change you forever.
★ Start couch-surfing via your current home (if possible). We started having people stay with us before we set off on the road. Its a great way to meet amazing people currently travelling and will also get you excited to get on the road!
Change!
Does hitch-hiking along a dusty road, backpack on and thumb out sound better than a safe drive to the shops and back, does setting up camp on a beach under the stars or meeting amazing people from different cultures sound like your kind of thing?
If you truly want something in life, you will work your hardest to get it.. And if travelling the world is something you long to do, then there is no doubt that whatever your situation, you will eventually reach your goal and live out your dreams!
Our 2 years in Australia started in March 2015 and we have had an absolute blast taking in everything that it has to offer, but there is still so much to see! And that, my friend, is the beauty of it all, there is so much to see in this world and many adventures to come, which will surely be filled with exploration, tales of peril and awe-inspiring views that will continue to take our breathe away!
We feel like we made one of the best decisions of our life.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Living A Hundred Lives in One: Travelling to Experience Everything
Getting the chance to see beautiful places, mesmerizing sights and having the privilege to chase these elements of life, of course that's the magic that underpins travel. But the ability to live a 100 different lifestyles, trying out different ones for size, is the most remarkable thing that makes us feel so lucky to be doing this.
Living A Hundred Lives in One: Travelling to Experience Everything
In the last year we have lived many different lives.
We have spent a month languishing in our own villa in a luxury beach resort, playing tennis and swimming in the heated pool, whenever we felt like it.
We have made home in a bustling hostel camp-ground in Byron Bay (one more akin to a shanti-town) attending a weekly talent show, learning the songs of the regular performers, sharing our space with at least 100 excitable and eclectic backpackers (and many a water-lizard and bush turkey).
We have traversed steep rainforests and mountains, climbed hills just to see the view, slept on the couches of strangers who became friends, seen night-skies that look like photographs.
We've caught deadly fish, rescued a Baby koala from the side of a road, sat beside a sleeping kangaroo, and heard the morning songs of exotic birds.
We have lived on the world largest sand island, seeing in the new year on a pitch-black deserted beach, and also lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere, enjoying our birthdays miles away from civilisation surrounded by trees and nature.
I could go on, and on, and on.
We have woken up in so many different places, had sleepless nights and restful ones, rose at 11am to explore a new city, or 6am to go and pick macadamia nuts.
This reality, the nature of our nomadic lifestyle, is pretty much the best thing about it..
Getting the chance to see beautiful places, mesmerizing sights and having the privilege to chase these elements of life, of course that's the magic that underpins travel.
But the ability to live a 100 different lifestyles and, trying out different ones for size, is the most remarkable thing that makes us feel so lucky to be doing this.
It's hard to believe that we have only been travelling for just over a year.
Back home, time passed seamlessly and quickly, and it was scary to witness.
And yet since we overhauled our way of life and came to Australia, in search of adventure and experience, time has slowed right down. Some days, time is irrelevant. Days where you feel no sense of urgency, no need to base your activities around routine or organization.
Rarely is boredom a factor. Yet when it does arise, it drives each change you make, the decision to move on, discover somewhere new, see the sunset from a different viewpoint.
Occasionally you settle into a comfortable homely routine.
Like now, we live in a house-share in Noosa, and have done for nearly 4 months (in order to top up our savings). Our things aren't packed up in our bags, they sit on shelves or in drawers.
But even this is temporary. This extended pause on our nomadic life has an end-date. And yet we embrace and enjoy each and every mundane element of it.
And the sense of nothing ever lasting too long, is a blessing, even if in some scenarios in life its a curse.
In the past I have felt the most uninspired, down and unenthusiastic, when I felt simply stuck with little to look forward to; stuck in a job I hated, in a routine that drained me of who I was.
I lost myself a bit. I think that can happen to anyone who is doing the same thing each day, if that same thing is not making them happy.
There's so much contentment to be found in a a predictable and comfortable daily life, doing a job you enjoy, maintaining a home you love and giving the best to your relationships and hobbies.
But when you aren't able to do that, and you feel as if your life-force is being drained by something, something as big as your job for instance, life can lose it's sense of freedom and joy. You can lose that.
Travel has enabled us to experiment withjobs and locations, and even when we aren't the happiest, we know it's only short-term. But real life isn't usually like that.
Real life often requires a steady and consistent way of life, and doesn't take kindly to the flighty nature of travel and job experimentation.
But travel be something you commit to, for a period in your life, to figure out what suits you, what your strengths and attributes are, to gain knowledge that can change you forever. When you are discovering the world you also get the chance to discover yourself.
And then, it can be much more fulfilling to return to normality.
Once you have lived a hundred different lives, you might find it easier to embody one in particular, the one which is the most suited to you, one that is shaped by broad and open horizons.
You could always decide you never want to leave behind the ever-changing landscape travel provides you with. And maybe you want to travel forever, and do all you can to never return home. But we've quickly learned that travel can be life-changing for all whom choose to do it, whether they do it for just a year or for 10.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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The Minimalist Life Cleanse Stage 3 [Overhauling your Spending]
We overspend to quell a sad mood or do so to reward ourselves for reaching a goal. We determine how free we are with our spending based on...
The Minimalist Life Cleanse Stage 3: Overhauling your Spending
In stage 1 of this Minimalism Life Cleanse Series, I touched on the basics of de-cluttering your home space, to cultivate a more organized and calming atmosphere.
You looked at our relationship to our possessions, and decided which ones you had held onto for too long, and then discarded those things which had no real place or meaning in your daily life.
You reminded yourself of the things which are precious and worth keeping, items which bring something significant into your life, or remind you of your most cherished memories.
In stage 2, you cleared out your social media accounts and inboxes, to change your connection with, well... being connected.
You tried to create a more fruitful and less overwhelming online space, being that you spend so much of time engaged in online activities.
The purpose of both stage 1 and 2 were to simplify your life. To maximise your time, improve your calmness and your ability to just be content and in the moment, not bogged down by things or status updates.
Now we continue on our quest for a simpler life with stage 3, overhauling your spending habits.
Hmm, I think this stage will be the hardest of them all so far....
Our consumer habits are not simply born out of this capitalist commercial world we are wholly embroiled in; they are partly ingrained in our psyche based on many things, from our family, upbringing and education. Even our self-esteem and general self-image play a role in how we consume.
We all develop bad habits in our lives, from smoking, to eating too many cupcakes, but this one, well, it underpins so much of what we do each and every day.
We overspend to quell a sad mood or to reward ourselves for reaching a goal. We too often determine how free we are with our spending based on our emotions and desires.
Advertising, seeing our peers with shiny new things, the disposable nature of fashion trends; these are all the things that can be blamed for your habits, but they aren't always at the route of your spending.
If you are my generation, a Millennial (born between the 80's and early 90's) we are well aware of financial crisis and don't just spend all our cash without thought.
We grew up in a strong global economy that then spectacularly collapsed.
Our futures are financially fraught because of overspending and overstretching, albeit on a different and more complicated scale. We are well aware of this and most of us have adjusted our spending mindset accordingly.
Some studies and publications disagree, and state that us Generation Y'ers are big bad spenders:
“...Millennials are 52 percent more likely than any other generation to report making impulse purchases simply to pamper themselves.“ “...no matter the recession and a continued shaky economy, and no matter the age group we’re talking about, the impulse purchase is alive and well..." [Brad Tuttle, Time].
Yet others state that we are mindful purchasers, and favour experiences over material things:
“...The Eventbrite survey of over 2,000 adults found that 3 in 4 millennial's said they would rather spend money on an experience than a material object..." [Kimberly Palmer, US NEWS].
You will find contradictory stories about millenial spending habits...but there's little doubt that the manner in which we consume has changed.
Many of us are making more mindful spending choices, not simply (or even at all) because of the economic downturn, but due to the prevalence of new online influencers and their blog's and YouTube channels; us and our peers are able to compare, research and consider our purchase choices more. Sites like Amazon rely on having lots of quality reviews to bolster sales, because our generation want to consider the quality of the items we are bringing into our lives.
But researched and thought-out spending is still spending is it not?
We often don't see our habits under the light of excess, and we feel justified in our expenditures, or we give simply give them little thought. We enact a lot of daily spending automatically, the way we always have done, without really considering what we are doing.
Not everyone spends all their disposable income on clothing or gadgets, some of us just spend heavily in other areas.
But of course there are those whose entire life revolves around acquiring new shiny things.
People will ditch a perfectly good smart-phone for a marginally better one; the very thing they loved (and paid handsomely for) 6 months ago now goes onto Ebay or sits in the bottom drawer.
That's maybe an extreme example of a somewhat wasteful and excessive relationship to consumerism.
And why is this example a bad thing? Why can't we be interested in developing technology you ask? Why must we use our things until they breakdown?
Well, if you replace your smart-phone say twice a year, what is the actual cost of doing so? And what is the true benefit to you? What do you truly gain versus what you give, in time and money?
Bad spending habits add clutter to your life, whilst subtracting time, money and energy.
If you are trying to save money, or want something bigger or more important in your life, like maybe a less stressful job or your own home, the willingness with which you part with your cash is going to be the first thing you need to simplify.
You can't have it all.
And by that I mean you can't have every material thing you lay your eyes on, and advance yourself in all your other dreams.
Taran and I currently are not earning much money whilst travelling, but when we chose to come to Australia we didn't just save up and think, 'Okay this is it for a bit, we'll be back to the 9-to-5 earn and spend grind soon enough'.
We quit our jobs and came travelling because it was the big change that we needed to untangle ourselves from the process of working to live and living to spend.
So, to repeat my earlier statement, spending habits underpin so much of your life, and really do play a role in how content and fulfilling a life it can be.
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BRINGING ATTENTION TO YOUR SPENDING AND MOVING FORWARD POSITIVELY:
1. Check Your Bank Statement
To begin this phase you need to look at the basics; what do you spend each day/week/month on things and experiences as well as the necessities.
- Look at the latest page of your bank statement, online or paper-form however you receive it.
- If you NEVER look at your statement, well, this is going to be a bit of a shock for you, if you are the type who just hands over the plastic and hopes for the best.
- Count up the last 10 things you spent money on excluding essentials and bills.
- What figure do you have? Is it more than you expected or more than you'd care to admit?
- Is it an amount that would help nicely toward your saving goals?
- Write down what the things that you bought, and consider what purpose they have brought with them.
- Did that spending bring in joy and fulfilment beyond the initial thrill of acquiring?
- If you can't even remember what you bought or why, well then, there's part of the problem...
2. Confront Your Debts
You've wizened up about what you spend, where you spend it, and maybe you feel like you want to sort it out... But you have something even bigger on your mind, riding your back and keeping you awake at night...
Credit cards and overdrafts are not the devil. They have numerous benefits and are sometimes a necessity (we use a credit card to make deposits and bookings in Australia).
But debt is something that happens when you get overexcited by seeing your credit limit whilst ignoring the very word, CREDIT. Credit is not free money, it is a shackle and an instant burden, unless you can comfortably make the repayment each month.
It's time to take your head out of the sands of debt, and confront your situation. List your debts from small to large. List the amounts of interest you pay on top of the minimum payments.
Immerse yourself these figures and wrap your head around them even if they shame and scare you. Don't let guilt or regret rule however, use the confronting emotions to motivate you to change things
If you are earning and working, and you know you aren't paying enough off, its time to ramp up your efforts, make larger payments, more often, whenever you have a random injection of cash.
Have your debt total as a figure ever-present in your mind. Write it down on a piece of paper and put it in your wallet. Every time you go to spend money on something you don't need, you will be reminded of your bigger goals.
The sense of freedom that comes with being debt-free is real. I have experienced it. The stress of owing and the feeling of being tied down to my past regrets and difficult life moments was completely lifted the day I became debt-free.
3. Fix Your Mindset
You've looked at the facts and figures. You've been confronted with the reality. You know how easy it is to just hand over your plastic and get the objects of desire you believe you need. But if you are now reconsidering your spending habits, then it is time to refocus your energy on positivity, as opposed to falling into a pit of deprived and harsh frugality.
Consider alternative ways of getting the same buzz that you feel shopping gives you. If you love buying books and have shelves filled with them, then instead of finding joy in the buying, find joy in the reading!
When you have had a need for something in the past have you ever considered heading to a charity shop/looking on gumtree/craigs-list to find a cheap and perfectly usable version of what you want? I feel like we can save so much money but also create a fun challenge for ourselves when we endeavour to recycle, revamp and reuse. Not that I am encouraging you to get more clutter, but there's something humbling about getting the things you do actually need really cheaply but at the same time recycling, helping others and giving new life to someone's old junk.
Look at all the things you have spent money on and find ways to get new value from them. Review your wardrobe and try new outfit combinations. Use your myriad of cooking utensils to try new recipes. Create regular self-care routines that help use up your overflowing collection of beauty products.
Do you have some larger goal for the future, a bigger reason behind pinning beautiful places on Pinterest? Do you want to travel more, see more and learn more? Outlining some exciting goals will motivate you to scrutinize your everyday spending further.
Are you feeding your passions and creativity, finding ways to express yourself and do what matters to you at your core?
Try to find a way back to the essence of what you want out of life, and step out of the confusion and overwhelming feeling that being on a spending downward spiral engulfs you with.
You might be thinking that you won't ever change, that you neither want nor need to. But if you can find a reason to derive more pleasure out of life that isn't related to what you spend, then you might find yourself less stressed and with heavier pockets.
I still want for things, and I still regret certain purchases, but by being mindful and confronting how I spend, I have still managed to clear my debts and go to Australia. I obviously have changed, and have managed to get something amazing out of being more thoughtful with my plastic.
Maybe you desperately want to clear debt but don't know how. Well, the first place to look is to consider the way you waste the money that should be going to clear them. You might think you already scrimp in order to make your credit payments, but so many pay the bare minimum, so as to free up that money up for disposable things.
You are normal to want things, normal to need things, normal to spend that which you work so hard to earn, but you needn't be a slave to the means of acquiring money to then simply acquire stuff. It's up to you.
Before you leave, you can now get the whole minimalist cleanse in book form, as an expanded and deepened process of steps and ideas! Available NOW.
Thanks for reading!
Want more reads like this? You can now find Hannah in her own online space, Good Intentions. Minimalism, mindfulness, conscious living and self-love; all the good stuff centred around being kinder to yourself, and kinder to the world.
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Capturing Incredible Photographs On A Gopro - How To
The thing that has allowed us to share our adventure through some amazing pictures and videos is our beloved GoPro Hero 4 Silver.
Capturing Incredible Photographs On A Gopro - How To
The thing that has allowed me to share my adventure through some amazing pictures and videos is my beloved little GoPro Hero 4 silver.
That, and a tripod. I use a GorillaPod as it allows me to place the camera almost anywhere! It can be attached to the side of trees, placed on uneven rocks or even hold itself upside down if needed.
This photo was taken at a beach just after sunset down by the waters edge, using long exposure and low ISO settings.
A few things to understand for anyone who isn't sure:
- The ISO settings will allow you to control how sensitive your camera is to light. Basically the lower the number the less sensitive to light your camera is.
- The Exposure time will allow you to set how long your camera lets in light for, so for instance, photos of the stars and the Milky Way will need lots of light and normally require exposure times of around 30 seconds.
To take an awe-inspiring photo like our one above you will want to set your GoPro (or other suitable camera) on your mount at the water's edge and apply the following settings..
Exposure time: 30 seconds
ISO level: 100
White balance: Native
- You will only have a short window of time to take the pictures (about 10-15 mins) so make sure you are ready!
- Make sure you take a few pictures during the sunset while the light is fading. If the pictures come out too light just wait a few more minutes for it to get a tad darker.
- Import them onto your computer and apply a Black and White filter to add some impact and drama to your snaps!
When it comes to taking pictures of the Milky Way, things can be a little bit harder..
For starters you will need to be somewhere with low light pollution otherwise you will just pick up all the light from surrounding cities in your picture. LightPollutionMap is a great website that allows you to find areas with low light pollution, once you have found your spot and it's not a cloudy night, set your camera up on its tripod and use the following settings:
Exposure time: 30 seconds (or above if possible)
ISO level: 800
White balance: Native
- Point the GoPro in the direction of the Milky Way. It has a very wide field of view with its fisheye lens so there is little chance that you will miss things as long as you point the camera in the general direction!
- After importing to your computer you will want to play around with the photo for a while on a editing program, increasing the contrast and altering the saturation will bring out the colours of the milky way and really give it some omph!
- From what I have found the photo's come out better if you allow some foreground objects into the picture as well, a few trees will do the trick.
Ready for some more advanced tips? Check out this new updated article:
Wanna know how to take EPIC photographs?! Check out our short master-class :D https://t.co/hnrcpxCttB pic.twitter.com/GIUbpbpFX7
— Nomad'er How Far (@Nomaderhowfar) April 2, 2016
Now lets see what the video side of a GoPro can do! Here's what ours has seen while in Australia:
These are photo's I will always treasure, and always look back on in disbelief that I was able to take them. With a little practice and time, you too can be your own master of your camera, and creator of a stunning collection of photographic moments.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
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![The Minimalist Life Cleanse Stage 1 [De-Cluttering your Home]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1467857613339-X4MCWP01UQQC5JHMBOYG/home+minimalist+pin.jpg)
The Minimalist Life Cleanse Stage 1 [De-Cluttering your Home]
Your lifestyle consists of numerous different habits, routines, behaviours, activities and passions. Some of these become stagnated or so repetitive you sometimes fail to notice that they aren't quite satisfying you any-more, or adding any substantial value to your daily life.
The Minimalist Life Cleanse Stage 1 [De-Cluttering your Home]
The Theme here? Minimalism in the home.
Minimalism is such a broad word for all that it encompasses, the meaning stretching across many different elements of your life and approach to, well, almost everything.
Your lifestyle consists of numerous different habits, routines, behaviours, activities and passions. Some of these become stagnated or so repetitive you sometimes fail to notice that they aren't quite satisfying you any-more, or adding any substantial value to your daily life. That is where stage 1 of the cleanse comes in.
You are going to bring minimalism into your life, beginning with your home.
Why minimalism you ask? Why is everyone so nonsensically obsessed with this movement, what is so appealing about it!
Well, it's kinda like exercise, if you don't ever do it, you can't fully understand how beneficial it is and how good it makes people feel, so naturally you look at it with apathy and scepticism. And minimalism, well you can't understand the sense of clarity and peace that comes with the practice of de-cluttering your life until you yourself try it. And you learn quite quickly once you begin to de-clutter, how you never needed so many types of items, and so many different versions and options!
A good example for myself, is my nail polish collection...since taking off travelling I have had two nail polishes in my collection, a mint one, and a purple one. I am yet to finish either or get bored of them. And then I remember I have about 25 polishes back home, doing nothing, sat in a drawer. And it occurred to me, I definitely have no real need for that amount of choice when I can evidently be more than happy with less! I don't need 25 of anything. I can be happy with 2. And you can apply this same concept to your stuff.
Having lots of things, or lots of options, has a lot to do with our commercial capitalist world.
Of course we end up with numerous things in our homes because shopping is a regular pastime for many people that means we inevitably add things to our collections that we already have, and end up with something in 3 different styles or colours. We pander to fashions and changing likes/dislikes in the culture around us, and yet still keep the old, the things we no longer consider attractive.
That leads to a cluttered mixture of things within the home, some never seeing the light of day. The result can often be a state of indecision within ourselves; what do we even like any more!
We end up seeing our wants, as needs, and this has lead to not simply our cluttered home spaces but a whole host of other issues; overspending and debt, hoarding, being weighed down by too much choice, feeling inadequate in the midst of the commercial world and it's changing fashions vying for our attention and our money.
So, I want to change things. WHERE DO I BEGIN?
TAKE THESE 3 STEPS, AND BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TO MINIMALISM, SIMPLICITY AND A MORE CONTENT LIFE.
1. Discard
DOWNLOAD OUR DE-CLUTTER CHECKLIST HERE!
- Start wherever you wish in the home. Choose a space to thoroughly declutter top to bottom.
- Put your merciless boots on, you are taking no prisoners.
- A good way to think is, would I want to save this item in a fire? And go from there...
- Throw away, donate, or sell, all the items that you haven't touched or looked at in the last 6 months (maybe excluding Christmas decorations!).
- Apply the need versus want rule: You might want 10 different styles of sunglasses but do you honestly need them?
- When looking at fashion items, ask yourself, if you saw this in a shop now, would you buy it today?
- You don't need duplicates of items, old worn out items, things you simply ignore the existence of in favour of just never having to actually put the effort into cleaning and tidying!
- Be even more merciless than you have ever been before when you might have tidied your home. You might be holding back a little but you must be committed and positive from the beginning of this journey.
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2. Reorganize
Now you have less stuff, it's time to organize what you do have.
- Do you need 3 chests of drawers or a giant wardrobe any more?
- Could you get by with less furniture, meaning you can add space to your home?
- If you want a less cluttered look to the home, a shelving unit with spaces for storage bins might be a neat alternative to storing items.
- If you want to create an eclectic aesthetic, consider a shelving unit which shows off your most treasured items, books, keepsakes and photographs. Seeing the things you find meaningful each day reminds you why you don't need to acquire more.
- Minimalism needn't mean no art on the walls or rugs on the floors, in fact I cant imagine anything more inspiring and simultaneously peaceful than having only a few beloved furnishings making the home individual and comfortable.
- Try to order your things in the way that you can recall where everything of daily need is, quite quickly. A sure sign that you have too much stuff is needing to rifle through all your storage in order to locate something.
- Seek inspiration for storage solutions on PINTEREST. This is my favourite source of clever ideas which not only work in a minimalist environment but generally make life easier!
3. Regard
You've done it! Well done!
- You have created a space that is not only calm and ordered, but you have also detached yourself further from the practice of acquiring material things.
- The less you have the less you need; this is a realization you may be experiencing having completed this process.
- Do you feel lighter? Do you feel like it would be easier now to enjoy your space, be creative, or social within it, and if you want to, pack it all up and go somewhere new?
- Enjoy it. Enjoy knowing you are giving yourself and your treasures, the space and the atmosphere to be happy and content.
- Take interest in all those hobbies or interests that might have fell by the wayside in the past. You have far less distractions to split your attention and efforts in your new streamlined space.
- No need to spend half your life tidying! There's hardly anything left to tidy!
- Find pleasure in your new space. Revel in it. Love the things you have kept and use them well.
By the way, before you leave, I recently released my book, Minimalism: Cleanse Your Life, Become A Calmer Person, available NOW! It's a more in-depth guide to de-cluttering your home, organizing your life, refining your spending habits and simplifying your relationship with your technology:
Thanks for reading!
Want more reads like this? You can now find Hannah in her own online space, Good Intentions. Minimalism, mindfulness, conscious living and self-love; all the good stuff centred around being kinder to yourself, and kinder to the world.
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Living A Minimalistic Life on the Road
We aren't above material things, or spending money, or ever acquiring ANYTHING. Of course we do. I like clothes, although I have got pretty used to my tiny travel wardrobe. Taran likes gadgets (albeit not the latest mobile phone). We both like stuff, we're only human.
Living A Minimalistic Life on the Road
If you read this, then you will be well aware of how Taran and I have set about creating simpler lives, centred around travelling, living with less possessions and little to no clutter.
We aren't above material things, or spending money, or ever acquiring ANYTHING. Of course we do. I like clothes, although I have got pretty used to my tiny travel wardrobe. Taran likes gadgets (albeit not the latest mobile phone). We both like stuff, we're only human.
But in the past year we decided to eliminate all the extraneous things that weren't bringing anything to our daily life or adding satisfaction. It made sense to do this because we were leaving home for a long time and it felt like a cleansing part of the mental preparation, off-loading years of accumulated bits and bobs.
Taking a hard look at our buying habits or tendency toward hoarding things, and changing our approach to 'stuff', we have saved ourselves money, time and energy. We haven't got the stress attached to having a home full of things, or the emotional linkage towards lots of things we can live without but have turned into items of symbolism; items that are ultimately irrelevant to your overall contentment and fulfilment and simply create clutter.
Now we live in a tent, out of two backpacks. Our most important things e.g. wallet, passport, phone, stay on us almost all the time. Our life has become a whole lot more simplistic and yet travel brings new complications.
We don't have a proper bed, or quilt, or pillows. We have one hoody each, neither very warm. Taran's shoes are falling apart. My cheap sandals are ruined by mud. So we are going to slowly lose even more possessions through sheer over-use. But it's teaching us a valid lesson, a new and fresh take on minimalism.
Yes the dress I'm wearing has approximately 3 holes in, and yes I do view the other girls at the hostel like a constant cat-walk of all the fashionable clothes I would buy if I had the dollar. But most of the time I just get on with it, and remind myself how my money is better spent elsewhere, or at least put toward functional things!
When you need to, you really can get by with a very small selection of belongings, and not feel any less happy whilst doing it.
The proof is in the pudding, the pudding being that we have been backpacking for 8-weeks with just a bag on each our backs and we are no more miserable because of it. Obviously buying new or random stuff would literally not fit into our nomadic life. But also, money spent on stuff would be money not then available for nice food or excursions. It would be wasted money and limiting to our overall travel experience.
So maybe in non-nomadic life, this reality also exists, whereby material gains become overall losses.
I have found that whilst travelling and currently not working (only 6 hours every two days for accommodation) you have plenty of free time, in which you could easily over-spend. But I have found myself developing an interest in things I never did before, back when our work/life balance was geared towards consumerism.
Now we can choose how to use our time more flexibly, and develop hobbies that allow creativity, entertainment and don't cost a whole lot.
The people around us spend their days writing music and practising playing instruments, making jewellery, knitting, writing poetry, doing yoga or meditation, all stuff that seems to keep them busy and satisfied.
I have loved spending time just reading, planning places to visit, people-watching, and enjoying the sunset over the Byron coast. Taran has loved drawing and listening to his music, meeting new people and we both love waking up whenever we want!
Lucky me, lucky us. We are leading a charmed life, one which we chose, one which is sometimes hard, when you miss home or worry over your dwindling bank account, but we are using this experience to gain even more separation from the financial ties that bound us in our previous lives. And that doesn't feel like a bad thing, at all.
We are living our own version of a nomadic lifestyle, where some travellers live out of a van, packed to the rafters with kit, whilst others travel with the tiniest of tents and are never seen out of the same outfit. And both appear quite happy with their choices.
For us, travel has helped us become even bigger devotees to minimalistic living, and we hope to take these newly learnt behaviours with us whatever our future shapes into.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Recommended Reads:
Nimbin Mardigrass Festival
This was more than just a pot-fest, this was a sensical display highlighting just how non-sensical the laws around cannabis are; its hopefully something that won't be debated in the future, once it becomes legal and common-place across the world, not in just some places.
Nimbin Mardigrass Festival
Our first impression of Nimbin was that it was wet, and dark, as we turned up to our camp-site, the Rainbow Retreat, in the pouring rain at 8pm at night. Spartacus navigated some precarious roads, and we were lucky that the river hadn't yet blocked the drive into the camp. It did later that night, and we though we might be trapped in this boggy place for the whole weekend!
We paid for our pitch, and then gravely made our way over to a gazebo where we decided to unfurl our still-damp tent and try to put it up without the rain getting inside. Rain is a pain in the arse for a traveller, when all your belongings are in one backpack, and your home is essentially a sheet and two fabric walls, not much to protect you against the elements.
Hungry but with little supplies left, we made some noodles in the 'kitchen'. It had most of the facilities that you need to cook but it was basically just a shack with electricity. Damp and tired, but still buzzing about resucing a baby Koala, we hung out with our friend Innis who had took a weekend detour from his route on the coast to come hang out again.
Sunshine woke us the next morning, although we hadn't slept a whole lot, thanks to the hard ground and the two guys having a bizzarre drunken argument around 4am. Weary but now warm, we headed into town. It was really hot by the time we reached the Mardi-Grass festivities, so we ambled around just taking in the vibe and checking out the stands being set-up.
A day-pass was $30 which was quite a lot considering the paid entry areas were not the most interesting, and we spent most of our time just walking up and down the main street, people-watching, checking out the awesome shops and food stalls.
We did go to one seminar, where people whom were pro-medicinal-cannabis were talking about how cannabis oil had radically helped them or their children; we didn't expect to get emotional, but one woman's tale had us both in tears, telling of how her son had gone from a horrible existence of countless life-threating seizures to now leading a happy daily life since beginning on the oil. This was more than just a pot-fest, this was a sensical display highlighting just how non-sensical the laws around cannabis are; its hopefully something that won't be debated in the future, once it becomes legal and common-place across the world, not in just some places.
That night we had a little chill (and maybe a cheeky smoke...) and then headed back in to check out the bands for the evening. Repetitive thumpy club music was pumping out one place, but there was various bands performing in different places, with one band's lead singers sounding kinda tone-deaf...but that was so fun about it all, everyone who wanted to be creative and express themselves, could be.
The next day was much of the same, but it was also time for the march. Hundreds of people lined the streets anticipating the hoard of people and the oncoming mass light-up of doobies. Then it began... Dancers dressed with sequin marijuana leaves on their heads, moving gracefully. Lots of flags waving, people smoking, a man tending to a pile of burning weed, a topless lady shaking everybody's hands, roller-skating women dressed in green, a man dressed as a woman pushing another grown man in a buggy, the giant inflatable spliff, and then finally, we joined the end of the march. We probably ended up in lots of people's photos as they all took pictures of us and the more interesting people in front.
Mardi-Grass was not a crazy weekend per-se, because weed generally makes you relaxed and laid back, so everyone at the festival was too, and we saw no trouble all weekend. The only people who didn't have fun were the police, faced with the task of hundred's of people, many obviously high. But it was super surreal and we are glad we went, it felt like we were part of something important, and we left feeling more pro-reform than ever. But we couldn't wait to leave the boggy camp-site and its ramshackle buildings. A relaxing weekend with awesome street-food, friendly and happy people, and a great atmosphere of positivity, Mardi-Grass was radical dude...
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Recommended reads:
The Hippy Trail: Bellingen to Nimbin
Word of the Mardi-Grass festival in the hippy-town Nimbin had reached our ears..
The Hippy Trail: Bellingen to Nimbin
Arriving in Bellingen, thanks to a nice easy bus ride (had a break from hitch-hiking for the day) we walked to our next hostel. No, we weren't breaking entirely from our cheap ways and getting a dorm, we were staying in 'The Palace' again (our tent). The YHA in Bello (the only hostel in town) had a small selection of gravel camp spots, on a sloped hill overhanging with trees, looking down to a river.
A beautifully shaded site with a canopy over-top, I was initially dubious thanks to an eight-legged dude perching on a post in the entrance-way to our plot.
The hostel itself was comfortable, sociable and clean, which is always a blessing when your only base is your tent. An eclectic mix of older and younger people made up the other guests, and yet again they had a hostel cat, spending its days languishing beside you on the sofa, occasionally placing its bum on your lap whilst you have your laptop on it... classic cat antics.
We had a relaxing few days in the heat, visiting Dorrigo National Park, a rainforest with waterfalls and beautiful views all the way back out the New South Wales coast-line.
Then, the rain came. The rain has followed us for the last two weeks, flooding our tent in Port Stephens (read about it here), and now making us all wet and cold again. Taran likes the rain, and of course I do too, from the comfort of a bed, under a blanket, with a hot chocolate... But it did make for some mystical views of the rolling green hills outside the hostel veranda.
After 4 days it was time to head to Nimbin. Word of the Mardi-Grass festival in the hippy-town Nimbin had reached our ears and our friend Spartacus (fellow Englishman, now expat, adorable 3-year old son called Apollo) offered us a free ride in the back of his camper. So we figured we could move forward on our planned route and take a little detour to the place where people openly smoke pot in the streets. And guess what, it isn't a lawless pit of hell!
Still raining, barely letting up for a second, we embarked on the road to Nimbin, relaxing in the back of the van. A while into the journey we got sent on a detour, off down a narrow road much like an english country-lane.
Bombing along bumpily, we drove past what we first thought was a cat, but no, this is Australia guys, so it wasn't a humble kitty, it was a baby koala!! Sitting alone in the pouring rain, either accidentally separated from it's Mumma, or wounded. Spart ran over to it, bundling it in his jacket. I then cradled the little thing all the way to the next town, in absolute awe and love with this tiny, docile little creature. We thought maybe we'd see a koala in a zoo, they spend most their time high up trees out of sight, but this was the kind of closeness we could never have imagined having. Spart has been in Oz several times in the last 13 years and has never seen one!
The little guy/girl sat comfortably in my arms, as we made our way along wet and windy roads. He made some small winny-noises and only showed minor aggression when we unravelled him from his warm cocoon of blankets to hand him over to someone in town who could help him out. But it was impossible to be scared of him, despite his long nails and sharp-looking teeth. We all surrounded it for more photos and just to marvel at it up-close, as it then fell dozed off a bit in Tarans arms.
Nimbin was still wet, and we had the task of setting up The Palace in amidst the mud and already sodden ground. Once set up we spent the evening trying to dry indoors the hut where the kitchen and lounge were. This camp-site was make-shift to say the least, the most basic and ramshackle of any place we had yet stayed.
The next day it was time to immerse ourselves in the self-professed hippy town of Nimbin, with its one short street of hippy-shops. But this town was geared up for its annual pot-fest, and we had quite a lot of interesting stuff still to experience on our little hippy-trail....
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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The Storm..
The sound of thunder fills our ears, adrenaline surges through us, as we scramble our things into our backpacks, ready to run...
The Storm..
Port Stephens, Melaleuca Backpackers, the place which has been soaked in heat and sunshine for the last week, the birds and the baking sun waking us at 8am most days.
Now it is 12.30am on a Monday night. A storm rages, not yet tired having lasted all day, steadily worsening.
We (Taran, me and our Scottish friend Innes) are sat indoors a wood cabin that houses the hostel kitchen and lounge area, which has become our little bolt-hole for most of the day, as we bury ourselves in our phones and laptops, comforted and simultaneously quiet against the rattling and thumping coming from the bushland surrounding us.
Hours before, Taran and I had gone to swim in the sea, finding it like a warm blanket against the relentless chilly rainfall. Taran's cheeks turned a little bit blue but it was the most fun we've ever had in such horrid weather.
Finally, at this late and still loud hour, we decide to brave the winds that have battered the hostel and the rains that have drowned the camp-site, and walk to our tents. Wading through puddles that have deepened to over 4ft in the past hour, we get whipped with rainwater. Reaching our little make-shift homes, Josie the kangaroo cowers at the back of our friend Innes's tent. Her tail is poking into the outer sheet. Her whole body is soaked but god forbid her tail gets wet.
Innes goes into his tent, a $32 3-man from K-mart, to find the tent was moving quite a lot, as to be expected in the winds that are at this point, Wizard of Oz-blowing-dorothy-away levels.
Yes it felt a bit wet inside but that must of been from opening the door right? No. Touching all his belongings he realizes, water has penetrated his tent and soaked all his stuff, including tickets, mementos, his electricals and his thermals. A little piece inside Innes dies. Even as I write this Innes writhes in discomfort on the sofa at the memory of finding everything he owns soggy and useless, including the thermals he'd not long before thought about putting on to keep warm.
The sound of thunder fills our ears, adrenaline surges through us, as we scramble our things into our backpacks, ready to run back to the relative safety of the lounge; a building surrounded by trees, perched on stilts, frequented by greedy mice and cheeky possums...
I find myself panicking as I collect my stuff, also thinking how dry the tent still is inside. Until I touch below my bed-roller, to find the floor damp; the water is coming in from underneath.
I run through the newly-formed lakes, negotiate the slippery platform, and make it into the dry of the building, dropping my bag which is already soaked, putting my sleeping bag down on my new bed, the sofa. I know I have to go back out there, to where Taran is securing the tent and Innes is slowly and sadly gathering his stuff together. I wonder why he's taking so long.
I cautiously walk through the lake again, to pack up Taran's things.
A part of me thinks the water will have crocodiles and snakes in it now, so I make a child-like whinny as I walk. I load Taran's bag onto my back and then ask him how I can help, as he fiddles with the tent. There is a rising tide of fear inside me as the extremes pound down on us, tents falling around us, chair cushions floating, a sad wet kangaroo now nowhere to be seen.
I race back indoors. Standing at the open door, yelling for them to come in, annoying myself with how shrill I sound. I see torch lights, so know they are not yet not struck down by a tree or lightning. I sit down on my phone next to the heater to inform Facebook of the situation, of course. Soon comes the slow down-cast figure of Innes. He has to make several trips to bring his things in.
Taran meanwhile chooses to stand outside amidst the elements, because, that's what Taran does. I have had my share of excitement already, and am quite happy to be in the warm and dry, even if tree debris is hitting the roof every other minute. Eventually we are all inside, stood like scarecrow's in our wet clothing.
Innes slowly sorts his things into wet piles and dry piles. I make a bed on the sofa. Taran fidgets and looks out the window a lot. Then as we are all stood up, out goes the lights.
Pitch black...
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Recommended reads:
Minimalism Will Make You A Calmer Person: Cleaning Out Your Home
Our world is loud; its full to the brim with visual noise and overwhelming excess. Turn it all down by starting from within the home to create a more minimalistic lifestyle.
Minimalism Will Make You A Calmer Person: Cleaning Out Your Home
You have lead a busy, complex and interesting life.
Along the way you have collected many a souvenir. These now gather dust on shelves, which are fit to bust, with all manner of things you've been gifted or bought. Your drawers overflow with every colour of your favourite t-shirt, numerous pairs of jeans, and scarves of various patterns.
You find you never have any space to put the new stuff you acquire.
If this does indeed sound like you, then you're most likely a human. And us humans generally collect, hoard and keep things. We end up with so many options and versions of the same object, yet usually favour only a small selection on a daily basis.
We hold onto things which remind us of a happy memory. We surround ourselves with artefacts of the past, and the future, in the form of DVD's, books, as yet unread, the promise of entertainment held within an object.
Contrasting our beloved nostalgic remnants, sit shiny smart televisions, laptops, tablets and state-of-the-art coffee-makers. In fact some of our most prized possessions our items that bring us instant gratification.
Our homes are saturated with evidence that supports the hopeful belief that yes, we are leading full lives; we are in touch with modern technology, but also cherish our past life moments.
But don't you ever feel smothered by it all?
I must confess, in my bedroom at home, only a select few sentimental objects are sat on the surface of the drawers or window-sill, as most of my things are orderly and neatly tidied away.
I feel calm and relaxed when I am not surrounded by stuff and that's how I kept my room something of a sanctuary. A place in which I can be creative, or relax, unencumbered by any random clutter, itmes representing hobbies which lasted 5 minutes or fashions that never really fit my style.
Our website says it all about our minimalist approach, as we like to keep the design simple and clean, because there are only a few important things that the reader needs to see on a page; the focus should always be the post content, not links or ad's, here there and everywhere.
I keep as much of my life as simple as possible.
I often view mess or clutter as being loud, or as disrupting my attempts to develop inner calm, with the purpose of meditation being that we find peace in the emptiness of a clear-mind. So I aim for a stress-free feeling by living in a minimalistic way.
I don't want to surround myself with literal or object noise, and so, to feel calm, I want my surroundings to reflect only calmness back at me.
4 steps to creating a minimalistic life inside your home:
It's time for a giant clean-out.
You have to begin somewhere and the best place to start is condensing your material possessions down to the categories of Needed, Irreplaceable and Redundant.
- These things will then be sorted between rubbish/trash, charity, and keep.
- Begin with a small room or a section of a room and start getting rid of things.
- Choose a drawer, a side or a cupboard and remove everything from it and then consider each items use.
- Ask yourself, always, does this item have any current relevance in my life and does it hold sentimentality.
More often than not you find yourself throwing away much more than you would of expected.
Say bye-bye to the three different electric whiskers but maybe not to the 35 baby photos; consider repurposing these into wall-art, or storing them for a less cluttered aesthetic.
Get Rid Of Furnishings
You may find less need for the 3 chests of chunky drawers once you've reduced your stuff down and so its time to donate these to charity, a friend, or the recycling plant, for some lucky person to make their own.
- You could sell these things on and use the money to fund your travels or an experience, but not for buying more stuff.
- Donating these things to a charity shop will allow them to take on new life, where people less fortunate than you who want to furnish their home on the cheap can re-use and re-purpose them for their own lives.
- Consider how you use your current furniture. Is it organized, well-positioned and purposeful?
Focus on creating a more tranquil space that is more conducive to chill-time, and whatever it is you do to relax or unwind.
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Organize Your Daily Life
Ted.com Writer and designer Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.
Your giant clean-out doesn't mean you will suddenly have nothing to tidy, so its time to put things in the places that are at ease with your everyday routine.
- I have all the random things which I use daily, neatly arranged in my desk drawer, so that I don't need to look through every drawer I have to find them.
- My paperwork that I need to keep but never look at sits in the boring filing drawer, along with other stuff I don't need daily but still have to keep safe.
- When doing this exercise you often find even more things to discard. Prioritizing organisation in your home or bedroom allows you to consider what things you really need and want.
It's amazing how much momentum you gain each time you de-clutter, you just get more bold and more brutal!
Now Discard Even More Stuff.
I may now live a more minimalist life but I once was the person who hoarded every plastic bag I ever acquired and managed to have three moneybags of batteries, none of which I could be sure had any juice left.
So quite often after I have already reduced down my stuff, I still find small extraneous bits that I can dispose of.
Maybe you weren't harsh enough to begin with and so its time to go full minimalist-mode!!
- Clean out your kitchen cupboards. Donate good crockery and accessories to charity.
- Look at your multiples. Do you have too many shoes that are all alike, too many pairs of socks, half of which have holes in. Leave yourself with less things but more quality options instead.
- Assess your paperwork. Get rid of all the things you thought you should have kept that date back 5 years. Organize what remains into a file, and consider scanning really important doc's in and backing them up.
Its a constantly fun and never-ending release of tension downsizing my personal stuff footprint.
I have less desire for more stuff, thus less of that drive to consume, which allows me to live a financially sustainable and less wasteful life.
Maybe you too could try some of the above ideas, if you want to feel lighter in stuff and quieter on the inside, but heavier in the bank account, and more fulfilled in general. Having less can bring you so much more in quality interactions, relaxation time and unlock new interests and passions you previously hadn't considered.
You have lead a busy, complex and interesting life... https://t.co/Arx2obdZb7 #minimalism #minimalist #calm pic.twitter.com/bNlMYYcBUa
— Taran & Hannah (@Nomaderhowfar) May 19, 2016
Before you go, just to let you know, you can now buy my Minimalism book! It's a more in-depth guide to de-cluttering your home, organizing your life, refining your spending habits and simplifying your relationship with your technology.
Thanks for reading!
Want more reads like this? You can now find Hannah in her own online space, Good Intentions. Minimalism, mindfulness, conscious living and self-love; all the good stuff centred around being kinder to yourself, and kinder to the world.
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Saving On A Low Income
I have now managed to reduce my outgoing bills to.... ZERO!
Saving On A Low Income
Hey Taran here, I wanted to share some info on my savings and how they have been coming along over the past half a year. Maybe this page could also help you reduce your outgoings and put a little more towards your next adventure!
So for almost exactly a year now me and Hannah have been saving all we can towards our big adventure, both of us have had a hard time,
Hannah had a debt she needed to clear before she could start saving so this a was very uninspiring way to start saving as it was almost like throwing money into a black hole..
I on the other had had no debts, but I have been on quite a low income for years now. I have been earning around £400 a month which at the start of my saving venture was very annoying; I had my car, my phone, rent and then food to cover! Which left me with very little to put into savings.. I was maybe saving £100 a month at best :(
But as time went by my savings slowly grew, and I made some pretty big changes to help them out!
Firstly my phone had just come to the end of its contract and so I ended that, saving me £40 a month! I found it quite easy to do that as I had never really been a big texter/caller I tend to use 'watsapp' to contact my friends anyway, and now I just rely on Wi-Fi to use my phone.
Then my car insurance/tax/MOT ran out about 4 months ago, I decided I didn't need my car anymore as I was able to cycle to work. So I sold my car for a small sum of £150 (not many space art fanatics out there I guess) and I have found that I feel quite free with out the car surprisingly! Avoiding traffic and getting exercise at the same time is great, and public transport really ain't that bad :P
I ran out of canvas's to paint one day..
A piece I did for my brother!
On the subject of Space art, selling my paintings also helped put a little extra dollar into my pocket which really helped me out, even if I was only selling the majority of my work to family/friends :P
I also tried my hardest to make presents for my family for Xmas and birthdays; I've made custom mp3 players out of old car speakers and metal boxes, a memory box for when I am away, awesome tie dye clothing And special one off paintings!
And so with only 2 months left to save, I have now managed to reduce my outgoing bills to.... ZERO! Which I am really proud of, no contract phone, no car and my dad has refused to take any rent for these last few months before we leave. Couple that with having great friends who know that we are saving every penny and are more than happy to buy us a drink down the pub, meaning very nearly every penny that comes in, goes towards our adventure!
Here's to an awesome 2015 in Oz!
Check out Hannah's '40 ways to Save Money Every Day' for more tips!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Update: Tickets, Visas and Backpacks!
So here we are, it's January 2015, and Australia is a mere 12 weeks away. And it's beginning to feel real.
Update: Tickets, Visas and Backpacks!
Our Australia Trip is now 3 months away...
Happy New Year folks!
We hope you all had a Christmas to remember, all across the world in all sorts of exotic destinations!
We had our last English family Christmas for potentially 2-3 years, which consisted of parties and food, gifts, and relaxation; it was glorious!
So here we are, it's January 2015, and Australia is a mere 12 weeks away. It's beginning to feel real.
In early December I purchased my backpack, an Osprey Farpoint 70, which comes with a detachable day-pack, a must for day-trips and any hiking pursuits!
The bag feels comfortable and similar in specification to my trusty Berghaus which I took to America for a month in 2009.
It has a side-opening zip as opposed to top-loading that just makes sense for me, as I did find the top-loading a bit of a chore. Taran worried it might lessen the integrity of the bag i.e. the zip breaking, but it seems very sturdy thus far, and it will be bolstered with a bag-cover or strapping for our aeroplane travels.
We have also both got some packing cells. I got them for Taran for Xmas then purchased my own when I realized they were pretty decent for their price!
They seem like they will easily fit all of Taran's t-shirts, some shorts, then his underwear/socks in the smaller ones. I will probably use them the same way although I will have some dresses and more clothing options.
What can I say, I take half my wardrobe to Taran's house each weekend so it is going to be quite a task to narrow down my choices to take travelling!
A few weeks ago we also applied online for our First Working Holiday Visa.
This was quite a quick and easy process, although, the card I was using to pay the 220quid cost, was declined on first try, and blocked until the following day...
So I learnt my lesson about using a payment card which isn't my everyday debit card for making expensive purchases, but then, once the card was unblocked and I tried to buy the visa again, I couldn't get past an infuriating error page.
Hours later, the next morning in-fact, immi.gov (the Aussie visa people) confirmed on Twitter that overnight there had been a service outage... so I didn't have some black-mark against my name, it was merely the website being a dick and making me sweat! So, we both got there in the end! Relief!
Then last week, came the biggest landmark in our travel-prep: purchasing our plane tickets!
We bought ours via Kayak, through the agent gotogate.com, having previously used Kayak to get an idea of prices.
We chose to fly with Singapore Airlines as they have come highly recommended and their price was suitably competitive.
We paid £633.00 each for a one-way ticket to Melbourne. This seemed like a decent deal, and according to someone we know who is going to Oz today actually, they paid around 600 each in April 2014. So we have probably not lost out on much by booking around 3 months before departure.
So a lot has happened in the month of December, and its probably been the most exciting and progressive month of 2014 in terms of prepping for Oz.
It felt like such a distant dream for a long time, but now all the plans are set in-place and other than saving up more money, organizing our packing, and sorting out boring home matters, we have few milestones left before the actual magic date we leave: March 24th!!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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New Years Resolutions: Spend Less, Travel More
The other day I was driving around between picking up dogs and amidst the traffic I looked at the expensive car in front of me, and it got me thinking...
New Years Resolutions: Spend Less, Travel More
Last Christmas..
Christmas is nearly here. We haven't yet overindulged on chocolates and nuts and bucks fizz. We can't wait to! And presents. Less than usual but still, presentssss!
The other day I was driving around between picking up dogs and amidst the traffic I looked at the expensive car in front of me, and it got me thinking...
2015 is going to be a huge year for us, maybe the biggest most crazy year yet, we already know this. But what do you think is ahead for you?
In 2014 we have gone through a tough time of sorts.
Choosing to go to Australia meant big cutbacks and sacrifices had to be made. Social outings missed, nights spent indoors trying not to kill each other, weekends of avoiding spending temptations. Generally becoming a bit boring. But it's all been for a good cause!
(not my actual car...)
So back to the other day, when I was driving around in my yellow 2001 Suzuki wagon.
My car has cost me a lot of money lately, fixing it to keep it roadworthy for another couple of months. Its such a pain in the arse. We cannot wait to be relieved of this financial burden! I was looking at the cars around me, thinking, yes your car looks a whole lot cooler than my yellow thing, and likely has some fancy little features. But when it comes to repairing it, it's gonna come with a nasty price tag, especially if you spent a lot for the car to begin with. A cars repair cost doesn't lessen even as the car depreciates in value year after year.
I've decided never again, when purchasing a car, will I get something which is brand new. Nor will I buy an old car about to drop dead. I'll find a nice middle-ground.
Because I've realized, as nice as a car can look from the outside, to your neighbours, friends and anybody driving past you on the motorway, it's still just a great hunk of overpriced metal parts, ready to fail at any point. No matter how pretty a car can look or how expensive it is still a minefield of complications under the hood. And when it does fail, mechanics are waiting to rip you off. Not all of them but many.
So basically spending lots of money of your car doesn't mean it won't end up costing you an arm and leg down the road. Not literally I hope.
Now I'm not being disrespectful to people who simply love cars, who visit classic car shows or restore them at the weekend, it's a great hobby and I totally get it. I just don't get the whole disposable culture of having the latest model of the latest high-end make.
I don't think your a dick if you drive a fancy car. But then again this isn't a car website this is about travel and living a nomadic and less materialistic lifestyle, so I doubt I will offend many readers here!
I guess the point I'm trying to make here is, in 2015, maybe it's time to reassess the way you spend your money, looking at why you feel the need to have the bigger house or the latest model of a car.
I'm not trying to insult anyone's intelligence by saying this; there are obvious reasons for wanting such things. But then again, questioning the thoughts which come to us as common-sense or normal, is what becoming a nomad is all about. It's what WE are all about!
Do you drive a nice car because you like the way it makes you look? Do you feel it adds to your image? Nice handbag, nice clothes, nice car. Is it all part of the capitalist package? Do you feel entitled to something which is plush and nice, inside and out.
It's certainly become a marker of wealth and financial success in recent times.
The car's we drive can come across as the clearest identifier of someone's social class/place on the income scale, right out there on the streets, where you see someone like me, cash-poor, in my less-than-stellar machine opposite someone like the man in a Mercedes in front of me, most likely earning the big bucks to afford such a luxury car, one might assume.
I did once own a fancy car. I made the mistake of thinking I needed to have a 'nice' vehicle (the car I already had worked perfectly fine and is probably still running happily today). So I bought a car on finance two years ago and god, did I live to regret it! I sold it a year later when I needed something more functional for dog-walking, and it was just a costly headache.
Why? Because I tied myself into a financial contract where the exchange was my money, thus my freedom, for the ability to drive a nice toy from A to B. And then I realized the pointlessness of such spending, when it is literally just a means of getting you places.
And when your car breaks down, like mine has, you realize the value of simply having a safe vehicle that moves off the driveway each morning, never mind it's colour or specification.
Now I'm 24, I'm a little bit wiser, and having had a car which I at first hated, for its look, colour, almost everything about it, has actually made me a happier person. Because it has only reinforced my values about money and how I intend to spend it on experiences and travelling as opposed to tangible things.
Things can be costly but can also be lost easily; a car can be written-off or burnt to a crisp. A handbag can be stolen. An expensive pair of shoes can sit in the box for months on end for fear of ruining them.
Things can give us an illusion of happiness or satisfaction, but the appeal of having them is often tied-up in us caring about what others think of us. Life is not about impressing others by flashing the cash. Nobody really gives a shit what car you drive. Envy is not something you want to inspire. I'm not shaming anyone, I'm just trying to empower you a bit!
If more people cared less about how they look to others they would be relieved of ever feeling inferior, jealous or less-than.
I know that when I first drove my little Suzuki wagon, I felt like it was ugly, to the outside world. I actually cared what people would think of my silly tall but tiny car. Why did I care? Aside from disliking the look of the car, I didn't want people to think that I THOUGHT it was a nice car to have.
God, what a waste of thinking energy!
As people, we like to control others perceptions of us and we do this is by portraying an all-round look and image. We are self-aware, we know that we too make snap judgements on others based on appearance, before we truly know a person.
But we are failing ourselves miserably because those who count don't care (and those who care, don't count, to finish the inspirational quote...).
Those who love us aren't doing so because of the car we drive
I really believe that enjoying a peaceful and happy life can't co-exist alongside the constant need to impress others or feel as if you need the visual markers of success to be successful. The way others see you does not determine your worth nor can anyone guess how happy you are based on your banana yellow car with blue swirly interior and a rattling engine.
So maybe 2015 will be your year. Maybe you will release yourself from some financial weight and pressure, and feel a new confidence in yourself. Maybe you will get closer to a more nomadic existence, one where you exchange money for unforgettable experiences and beautiful memories.
Even if your goal is to be richer financially, why not enjoy the hard earned fruits of your labours with travel as opposed to a new car or the latest ipad. Just a thought!
Not a care in the world!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Recommended reads:
Dreaming of An Eco-Commune: Creating A Better Life Together
Much of the time, in the western world, we are almost encouraged to live somewhat insular lives, ignorant and intolerant to our direct neighbours, let alone our distant ones across the world.
Dreaming of An Eco-Commune: Creating A Better Life Together
Travelling for some, isn't always about endless weeks of life on the road, leaving behind a sense of family and familiarity, actually making many feel more grounded and fulfilled than ever, especially when you find yourself putting down roots on alien soil; sometimes when we explore the world, we seek a community-centred life that we couldn't find back home.
Taran was telling me the other day, about a graphic he once saw, which compared neighbourhood's in America with ones in Iceland. It highlighted that many Icelandic communities grow their own produce, whereas hardly any do in the USA.
The difference across the world between those living sustainably, community-driven lives and those living wastefully and selfishly, is woefully exemplified in this comparison.
How cool if we all had our homes like this!
It got me to thinking, how great it would be if more people in my own country were more focused on creating a self-sufficient community lifestyle.
And also, how lovely and sensible a community more like the Icelandic one would be, a place with values focused around helping each other; goods and services would be plentiful for everyone.
I do kind of envision it in a certain dreamy way:
Every person within such a community, would have a sense of purpose and a position; something to give and something to strive for.
General everyday wastage would be reduced. Recycling would be a lovely side-effect of a culture of sharing and giving. Healthy foods would be grown and tended to with care.
People would share their talents, and learn new ones from each other. Communal meals would be made up from each and everyone's contribution.
Life in such a place would be fulfilling, comforting and peaceful. And fun. And friendly, for the world and for the people.
Places like this do exist but I am yet to really experience one
I remember when I was young, playing with all the kids from the road I lived on, but rarely did these connections go beyond our childish ability to make easy friendships and have an afternoons fun. We would all still return to our homes as darkness came, sit inside our isolated little boxes with our dispersed, distracted families and ignore the world (and people) outside of it. Which makes me kind of sad.
So, serving as some of my inspiration for this community project daydream, is this place: Töfrastaðir, Iceland.
"Töfrastaðir (Icelandic for a magical place) is a permaculture project, about making a better life, advancing agriculture, creating abundance and building a community that cares" - Mörður G.Ott.
Established by Ott, he describes the idea behind the community:
"Most important to us is to be a home for those who need a place to belong and feel loved. The best compliment we've had so far, is: "Being at Töfrastadir feels like being with the family I didn‘t know I had".
The foundation of perma-culture is caring for the people, for the world, and recycling everything back into the system for re-use. So it's encouraging to read about this Icelandic project, as this really lends itself to developing permanent eco-communities.
Led by Ott, this group of people, disenchanted by fast-paced city life have built some amazing, something to aspire to and build on.
A community which is more close to my vision, a small and happy one, is situated right in the U.K, Brithdir Mawr, in Wales.
Founder Julian Orbach, an architectural historian. Shunning the trappings of modern society and fighting those who want to force him back into it has paid off.
Established in 1993 by a young family, this eco-commune was dogged with legal issues which fought to destroy it and yet today, it thrives. This place also embodies the values of sustainability, the sharing of skills and knowledge, and people, all fostered within this small humble farm.
Much of the time, in the western world, we are almost encouraged to live somewhat insular lives, ignorant and intolerant to our direct neighbours, let alone our distant ones across the world. Materialistic consumption and preoccupation with our career ladders, and financial aspirations, means a sense of community is not likely to find its way into such a busy and self-absorbed lifestyle.
Don't get me wrong, I don't always want to live in the pockets of other people. I, like many, value the alone-time and space to be creative and recharge. But I have mornings where I'd like to pop next door to share a cup of tea with my neighbour. I'd like to have the option to open up my home to people who want company. I wish we weren't all such strangers.
Sometimes however, on the days where I sit huddled in my warm room on my laptop, it's easy to forget about how wonderful a more giving and open community would be to live in. But there are so many benefits to it, with the concept of outsiders or difference of religion/sexuality/skin colour, irrelevant.
I suppose I want to live somewhere that strikes a balance; a sustainable community, welcoming anyone/everyone to live within it, bringing an end to isolation and loneliness, creating a new outlet for self-expression and fulfilment. Every person is useful and wanted. Judgement and bigotry are simply absent.
You might say, the place I imagine is somewhat radical, because it's not a community about 'I' or 'me', it's all about what 'we' can all do for each other on a daily basis. Simple things like swapping vegetables with your neighbour to cook your Sunday roast, or baking cookies for a child's birthday party. I guess a lot of this fantasy relates to food...
A community that is less reliant on big business and government, supermarkets and shopping centres, and able to depend on itself to not simply exist within the bounds of what is financial and material, but what is real.
Yes it's about the 'eco', treating the world more kindly with the elements of recycling and less wastage, harvesting your own communities food. But it also goes back to the core of humanity and, love.
Elderly people with an audience always ready to hear their stories, children with an abundance of lessons to learn from every adults wisdom and experience, natural beauty cultivated by the hands of many, and a sense of safety, with everyone looking out for one other. Suddenly friends and neighbours are family. That's something amazing. Families are what makes this life worth it.
I guess this post is quite relevant in the lead up to Christmas, where I hope everyone can find their own peace and happiness amongst loved ones for the big day. I might as well have titled this post, 'I wish it could be Christmas, every dayyyy' cause what time of the year better evokes a sense of community, family and love.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Recommended reads:
4 Ways To Let Go Of Travel Fears
"I am worried, and I ought not to worry, but because I can't stop worrying, I'm worried that I worry"...
4 Ways To Let Go of Travel Fears
This post is inspired by Alan Watts, a British philosopher who wrote about all the stuff that I and many others are interested in, whether we vocalize that or not; identity, the pursuit of happiness, emotions and personal growth.
Many of his talks, most available to listen to on YouTube, also reflect on Buddhism, so that's interesting too!
The road to our travels is one which has been about more than simply saving up the money to go; its been a process of preparing mentally for what will be a life-changing experience for both of us.
The quote below (taken from the YouTube video) gets across the best bit of advice in regards to living a life less guided by fear and worry:
... "I am worried, and I ought not to worry, but because I can't stop worrying, I'm worried that I worry.
...you discover that no amount of anxiety makes any difference to anything that's going to happen. In other words, from the first standpoint, the worst is going to happen: we're all going to die.
And don't just put it off in the back of your mind and say 'I'll consider that later.' It's the most important thing to consider NOW, because it is the mercy of nature, because it's going to enable you to let go and not defend yourself all the time, waste all energies in self-defense".
Powerful stuff no?
Using that fear that resides in all of us, ultimately the fear of death, to empower us to do the things we want to do; to get excited, be adventurous, not using the fear as an excuse to never live.
Because no matter what, you will pass away one day.
And you wasted all those good years afraid of the inevitable instead of embracing what time you had.
So, when you choose a life that is less about sitting still and staying in your safe bubble, and more about leaving your town, country, continent, you are going to either confront many fears head-on or be more burdened by them than ever before.
Alan is saying, to worry about potential future events is to not only waste the present, and lose enjoyment in life, but is also a futile exercise.
What is yet to happen is partially under our control but it also, isn't. You have to accept that fact and realize no amount of worrying is going to change any outcome, except to ensure you are pretty damn miserable!
But it is understandable, that a person can be excited and enthusiastic about travelling, and shit-scared at the same time.
Fear of death of course, but also a fear of general things like discomfort and strangers (and strange beds).
Maybe you're scared sleeping in a dirty hostel in a country well-known for creepy-crawlies or travelling on a bus for hours on end; almost every aspect of travel can create a current of trepidation, with the eventual result being scared into in-action, not living out your wanderlust because the myriad of anxieties you have, have overpowered you.
Steps to take to ease your fears before embarking on your travels:
1. Researching before you go will protect you in the long-run:
- You can eliminate many possible bad situations by simply being informed and prepared for each destination you travel to.
- Make sure you know of any major issues regarding safety, or scams etc in that particular country or region by simply looking up the place on google. But don't let that information make you even more scared, feel empowered by having that knowledge.
- A basic thing to know would be related to health, making sure you understand what vaccinations to have prior to visiting somewhere.
- Look into what insurance you might need, and be well-versed in what the health-care system is and what it can offer you in each place you visit.
- Have a list of emergency contact details for all manner of things; a lost passport or stolen credit-card.
2. Focus on the things you can't wait to see and do:
- Dwelling on each and every thing that could go wrong is a sure way to lessen your enthusiasm.
- If you keep that mindset throughout your travels think of all the amazing experiences you will deny yourself because of 'what-if' thinking.
- Spending your time looking at all the wondrous and beautiful things you are going to be able to see and do, will create such a great surge of excitement, the kind which puts fear in its place: to the back of your mind.
3. Take comfort in the experiences and knowledge of your fellow travellers:
- You have a wealth of great info at your finger-tips and can learn all about the do's and don't of travelling to certain places, amongst different cultures, meaning you can truly go into nomadic life with your eyes wide open.
- Read travellers blog posts, use Pinterest and Twitter to locate tips and ideas on staying safe.
- Establish a few key things in your mind which you will actively do to feel safer and happier; mine include locking my bags up every time they are unattended when in hostels, being very observant of my situation on public transport in busy places, and just generally exuding an air of confidence and conviction, the kind that means you look less terrified and meek, and so you feel less terrified and meek.
4. Accept some bad stuff might just happen:
- You can't prevent everything bad ever happening, you haven't got ultimate control over all eventualities. You never have and you never will.
- You might lose a hoody, your passport, a sock or your kidney, who knows (last part less likely).
- You might face hardship on the road in other ways too such as with your money, with work, or with your partner.
- Life on the road is just like normal life back home, in that it too has the potential to go awry at a moments notice.
BUT you can take an organized approach to your travels and arm yourself with knowledge that will help you out, when you need to be safe or avoid bad situations.
Knowing what to do and how to do it will surely mean you have confidence in yourself no matter the scenario's you could find yourself in.
Go with instinct; don't hold back from trying new amazing things, embrace adventure and spontaneity; if something doesn't seem right, and you get a bad feeling, use your best logic and assess the situation calmly.
There are plenty of fears which might follow you on your journey,but as long as you use them to be safe and mindful, they won't hinder your adventures.
More Travel Preparedness Reading:
1. 7 Things We Wish We Had Done Before Travelling
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
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Why Being Poor Is Good For You
Today's post is pretty much me proclaiming, just how having less wonga, moolar, dollar dollar bills y'all, is actually not the worst thing in the world.
Why Being Poor Is Good For You
Today's post is pretty much me proclaiming, just how having less wonga, moolar, dollar dollar bills y'all, is actually not the worst thing in the world.
I come at this from an admittedly middle-class background. I've never really wanted for anything financially, unlike many many people across the country, across the world, do on a daily basis; some have no food or water, whilst some complain when they can't afford a meal out on a Friday night.
In reality, we all have different circumstances and are used to certain ways of living. I have never truly struggled for money, and even when I had periods of little to no income, I knew I had a family to fall back on. My definition of 'having less' is very much aimed at those whom are seeking to change their life, or create a more balanced situation, one where they have less money, work less but live more.
I don't believe that it is in poor taste to complain about not having enough money for 'things', like that dress you saw online that you just 'have to get!', whilst living alongside others who can but dream of such a thing.
However maybe it is bad to place so much importance on having something which is a luxury, when so many others have literally NOTHING.
We could try and look at the ways we derive our happiness, and try to find more sustainable and mindful ways to live, so we can enjoy our lives but still show thought for those who haven't enough money to eat this week.
A bit about my back-story and money: I grew up in a wealthy family, my mum had a horse and my dad drove a BMW, and played a lot of golf.
We lived in a 6-bedroom mansion for a short while. We had holidays to Florida when I was a kid, then Europe every year with just me and mum. My dad worked hard for years to provide us with these things, and when he and my mum divorced when I was 7, still, none of us went without.
I was (very) privileged to receive money aged 18, that my parents had saved all my life, which enabled me to travel to America and buy my first car. But despite all this I've never felt like I was entitled, or taken for granted that it would always be so comfortable; a part of me understood, these things can so easily be gone.
It's hard to explain where things changed, but it probably started when I started my first post-university job as an advisor in a bank. It was bullshit.
There was me, 22, with a job, a nice car, a comfortable home, but for many reasons, I was actually miserable. Spiritually devoid, mentally sick and physically unhealthy.
So I quit.
Despite my supportive mum, I didn't want to rely on my parents to pay my bills or fund my lifestyle and hadn't, from the age of 16 onwards, short of living at home with my mum (paying rent). So I set about finding a new career option.
Just because you have a wealthy upbringing, it doesn't mean you end up replete of a solid work ethic or a respect for money.
A few weeks of doubt and trying to cope with the anxiety of a failed job and unemployment, I set up a new business and began a few months of financial struggle and frustration.
For so long, I had been able to go and drop money shopping for random crap without a care in the world, yet suddenly I was foregoing all pleasures and treats, or struggling to part with my money when it came to it.
The less I had, the less I wanted to spend, on pretty much anything.
Even paying a parking fee stings, as does the price of the weekly food shop, or when you fancy a costa coffee iced smoothie on a hot day and you have to scrape the pennies together.
Hah, hardly the worst situation, going without my iced smoothie, but you get my point.
I went from being an active consumer, trying to buy happiness, to not being able to buy much at all.
source.
If your happiness is tied up in the big car, the house, the regular luxury holidays, the bedroom wardrobe, then what happens if you lose it all?
Will you feel as if your life is over, or will you recognise that money comes and goes, but true happiness can remain?
So here are some thoughts on how to enjoy a lifestyle of having less disposable money.
These things won't solve your worries if you are suffering genuine financial worries or poverty, but anyone can try to seek out a happier life on whatever income.
Maybe you are low on funds right now, and a load of bills just went out; either way, you feel poorer BECAUSE of not having as much money as you'd like. If so, keep reading...
1 > TAKE COMFORT in friends, laughter, movies, books, a sunny Saturday in a park, a camp fire, a beach, music, a home-cooked meal. These things really cost very little, but are the building blocks of a solidly contented life.
2 > FORGO THE LUXURY and go for cheaper options. You might think the more expensive option is better, thanks to years of advertising positioning things in this way, but often you are just throwing money away for something which you could of gotten for less, without the after-spend guilt.
3> VALUE YOUR RELAXATION TIME if you have chosen a life of part-time work or self-employment. You might have opted for the 'work to live, not live to work' mantra, which can be great for keeping your stress levels down. I sometimes got fed up with my off-hours because I had no money to go out and spend, then I realised, I needed to find better ways to use my free time that didn't involve money!!
4> GET YOUR TRAINERS ON and exercise! Running is free, exercise videos are a dime-a-dozen on Youtube, a good pair of long-lasting trainers will cost you 30-quid. There's no reason why you can't focus free time on building a healthy, strong body, instead of spending it in the shops.
5> WRITE DOWN THE THINGS WHICH MAKE YOU SMILE and even if you decide, 'Oi, I quite like my big expensive car', or 'hey Hannah! I enjoy my weekly trip to the shops, don't judge!' you can still appreciate what is right in front of you, all the things of real actual worth, things which most of the time, are free.
All I ever want, when I write these posts, is to get people thinking about things, because it's fun to plan for a happier life, isn't it? It's never a bad thing to do.
I am the happiest I've ever been because I've tried to untie my happiness from my bank balance; I still need money and want money, but I don't feel less happy for not having lots of it any more. I went through a period of adjustment, and came out better at the end.
I do want to make a slight disclaimer. I don't think money is bad, or the want to have it is bad, and I think it is naive to proclaim that poor people are happier/better than other people, or that rich people are miserable or out-of-touch.
If you want to have lots of money, for whatever reason, that's cool! But if you can be comfortable and happy with less, then one day if there is more, or if you suddenly lose it all, at least you will know where the true wealth was made.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
WANT MORE?
Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
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