When You Prefer Experiences to Things
The Life of a Minimalist
I’m not very materialistic.
I don’t have to work at it. I’m just not. I use to wonder why. When my girlfriends swooned at the mere sight of expensive shoes and handbags or dreamed of a big wedding, I was perplexed.
I didn’t begrudge them their shoes, handbags and weddings, but neither was I impressed or envious.
Don’t get me wrong. I can appreciate good craftsmanship, beautiful things, mansions, amazing architecture, swimming pools, and private jets. I just don’t need to have any of the above in order to appreciate them.
Actually, most of the things on that list look like they come with trouble attached to them.
You know, a pool is a lot of work, a mansion is too big to keep clean. I know. I know. If I married the right man or earned enough money of my own so that I could afford fine things, I’d probably also have a staff of dedicated people to keep my things organized and clean.
But that sounds like a lot of trouble, too.
Managing employees isn’t my cup of tea. I did that for six years at the end of my career when I ran a large elementary school in Maine. It’s exhausting to say the least.
So what floats my boat?
I’ve thought about that long and hard. and I finally decided a few decades ago that I wanted experiences more than things. That, in fact, too many things kept me tied down and limited my experiences.
At one time, I sold everything that I owned and lived on the road.
I became an international nomad. Not only did I unload decades of accumulated stuff, but I also learned to travel super light.
Get this!
I only packed a small carry-on bag, one that fit under the seat in front of me and a tiny strap-on purse. That was it! That was it for months and months at a time. I use to watch people struggling with mountains of luggage at the airport and I gloated. After a long international flight, I just grabbed my bag and off I went, hailing a taxi to my final destination.
That’s when it became really obvious how little I actually needed. It was an eye-opening experience.
What I needed instead of mountains of stuff was to be able to get around with ease. And I did. I spent months in Ireland, Spain, Portugal, England, Italy, the isle of Saba in the Caribbean, Mexico, Guatemala, Germany, Canada, Japan, and all over the United States.
I even started an international house sitting business.
I took care of expats homes abroad whenever they went back to visit their families. Unlike me, expats tend to accumulate all the trappings that they once left behind when they expatriated to a new country. When it was time to visit family, they had gardens, houses, dogs, cats, and cars that needed tending. I exchanged my services for their amenities and we were both happier.
I’ve taken care of some beautiful homes over the years.
Some women can’t buy enough shoes. I’ve known women who have walk-in closets filled with shoes. Not me. My passion is experiences. I’ve seen volcanoes erupting, free-range sheep on the back roads of Ireland, attended intimate flamenco concerts in Spain, lived on the highest point of an island, taken trams, trains, and taxis all over foreign cities, learned a second language, enjoyed spectacular food, and long for more.
Whew!
People look at me like I’m crazy sometimes, but deep down inside, I think they’re a little envious. I don’t want their shoes, but I think they’d like to experience a few of my adventures.
Of course, they’d have to bring several huge suitcases for their shoes.
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
