There's nothing like a vacation to help slow down life and do some soul searching. We regularly take vacations and stay in condos at our destination. This is one area we splurge on. Pack a few books, spices, clothes and a journal and I'm set.
It's amazing how comforting an empty condo can be. The kitchen drawers and cabinets are sparse but for the most part, I have everything I need. The wall units, dresser drawers and closets are empty except for a few things we brought. No overflowing cabinets with food, dishes, pans, utensils or medicine cabinets cluttered with who knows what. In spite of this all, I find peace with just being there. The condo allows us to live the simple life. There is no time or room to accumulate a lot of "stuff". Clutter is picked up quickly and never seems to pile up.
I return home and see stacks everywhere. Paper, laundry and the various items I have accumulated over the years sitting in or on desks, dressers, shelves, and closets, not to mention the basement. In reality, many of these items are long forgotten. I realize after spending a week on vacation, that although I am not a hoarder, I do have an excess. It's nice but the truth is, it doesn't add extra joy to my life.
How did this happen? I do box up items for charity on a regular basis. The answer is a little bit at a time. It's time to rethink what I want and what I need. Vacations are wonderful. Thanks to our wonderful getaway accommodations, I am enlightened to the possibilities of living a simpler life going forward.
Your writing is clear, fun and, yes, enlightening. A blog is the perfect vehicle for this Dottie. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny--we go to a timeshare condo and I'm just annoyed at how ill-equipped the kitchen is, even if it seems adequate to a normal person. I'm like, "Where's the zester?! Where's the pressure cooker?! Only one rubber scraper? This is madness!!" Although I totally appreciate leaving the sparse environment of a condo and returning to your house full of rubbish. It is always a little depressing to discover and rediscover how much STUFF you have )-:
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