sarahwilliamsandco

So for this week’s self-care post I thought I’d do something a little different. One thing I’ve not really spoken about on my blog is minimalism. I’d like to think I’ve been living a minimalist lifestyle for about five years now. I haven’t spoke about it much in my posts because I don’t necessarily think of it as something I do so much as something I am. I don’t know if that sounds obnoxious. What I mean is I live my life always with the intention of keeping things minimal, having things with function. But I don’t sit down and think ‘okay, how can I be ‘minimalist’ today’. Get me? So I’ve seen the huge surge of minimalism and konmaring recently and believe me, I’m all for it, but other than telling you what possessions I own I didn’t see how I could have anything to say about it. But I’m going to Paris next week and I always try to take inspiration from my life for the self-care posts, so then it hit me. I’ll do a packing list. Stick with me here.

I think as humans we can easily get overwhelmed. Often we make problems for ourselves. An area we tend to do this is going on holiday, or moving, or just generally having to look at things we own and decide whether they’re worth putting in a bag. Holidays, for example, are supposed to be a magical time. We’re literally supposed to be having the time of our lives. But who can tell me you haven’t started a holiday in the worst mood imaginable because your partner/dad/mate told you to hurry up, you underestimated how long you take to roll things and now you’ve got a bin bag of wet knickers in your hand luggage that you’re gonna have to dry when you get there and a face like a smacked arse? It should be simple. Hassle-free.

So I’m going to break it down for you.

Everyone’s packing list will be different. That’s the first thing. Because everyone has different priorities. But I presume we all wear clothes and brush our teeth and need passports to fly. So we’ll keep it open.

My first experience of minimalism was probably when I moved to uni with a seven-seater full to the brim of belongings. I also had a room on the third floor with no lift. I quickly reevaluated my life. Slowly I decreased my possessions until third year when I was flying to America for an exchange year. One suitcase and one carry on. That was my limit. This trip was already costing me so much, I certainly wasn’t paying for extra luggage! So I had to really evaluate what I thought I needed to survive. What things did I need in my life to feel safe and satisfied and functional. And so my hard turn into minimalism began. And you know what you instantly find? Fucking hell, is that shit freeing. I felt like I wasn’t being held back anymore. Even now, I feel like at the drop of a hat I could be packed up and ready for an adventure. I know where every possession I own is. Think about that. Cos I think that’s a really important part of minimalism. If you don’t know where it is or what it is then what exactly is its purpose? Do you know where everything you own is right now?

But before this post itself overwhelms you, let’s move on. We’ll work towards that. For now let’s just perfect the packing list because isn’t running away from our problems way more fun?

Sarah’s Minimalist Packing List

Passport

Phone + Wallet

Book and/or Headphones (I don’t know your life, though if you don’t go everywhere with a book I do not trust you)

Other electronics (laptop, tablet, camera etc)

Chargers

Papers (tickets, boarding passes, travel insurance policies, maps, or just you know, go paperless, man)

Water Bottle + Cloth Bag

Small pouch (lip sil, tissues, bobble, plasters, hand sanitiser, atomiser, portable charger, pen)

Bigger Toiletries (hair/tooth brushes, tooth paste, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, sun cream)

Clothes (jacket/coat x1, hoodie/jumper x2, shoes, jeans x2, t-shirts/underwear xamount-of-days-not-three-weeks-more-than-necessary, hat/gloves/sunglasses/swimwear (weather dependent), pjs)

Anything you need to make you feel human. Maybe it’s a bullet journal, maybe it’s a pair of straighteners, maybe it’s a teddy bear, hey no judgment here. As long as the object is serving a valid function for you and your trip then bring it along. You only need to justify it to yourself. If you come back from this trip and it hasn’t been used, remove it and don’t take it again. You’ll learn as you go. But don’t be breaking your back carting round garbage you don’t need. You’re not a pack mule. Now go and enjoy your trip!

ps. Shot every time I said minimal/ist/ism.

Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men