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Thoughts from a van | The comfort behind a simple life

Thoughts from a van | The comfort behind a simple life

March 2019 · 4 min read
It's been a while since I write about myself. You probably couldn't care less about my personal life and that's fine, I don't blame you; when I started to travel and to write on steem I saw a money making opportunity, but I also realized that a Blockchain based blog was the best option to keep a "thoughts journal" and an "adventure diary".

That's why, no matter who reads my blog entries and no matter how much my posts make, I'm not going to stop writing here. The liquid crypto I get from it is nice, I'm actually striving to stack 100k steem in the short term, but it goes deeper than just money at least for me: the usefulness of this Blockchain goes beyond rewarding users for posting on the chain, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

But I'm not here to bore you with technicalities and reasons, I'm here to bore you with a personal topic, so buckle up.

Some people say that the fewer posesions you own, the easier it is to be satisfied; other people claim that the less you want, the more you enjoy what you have; there's others that believe that minimalism is the key for having a good, happy life.

Well, I call bullshit on them.

Of course I agree with those statements, I'm actually on board with having a simple life.

What I don't agree with, is them spreading those words lightly.

The Spartan way, the minimalist style, the humble approach. They are not for everyone. Actually, most people can't deal with having such a life. That's fine you know? In reality it's more than fine, it's normal.

Call it capitalism, consumism, societal rules and expectations, comfort, vanity or whatever. The name doesn't matter. The truth is, most of us don't want a simple life, 99% of us enjoy having luxuries from time to time, to run a comfortable life.

On the other hand, I don't really have a choice now.

When I left Mexico City, I sold all of my possessions and right now, all my life fits on a back pack.

IMG_20190316_092915278.jpg

Oh yeah, that's me tanned as hell. I've been playing volleyball and sunbathing almost daily for the past two months

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Anyway, back on topic.

Moving frequently from place to place, makes you want to travel lightly, to attack the road in the most comfortable way. That means having as few posesions as you can. Owning more means a sore back at night after a day of walking and exploring; having more things than what fits the backpack it's a synonym of having to get rid of something.

You become unattached to the material. But not because you're on "higher spiritual level" or any other bullshit some "enlightened" people wants you to think, but because you have no other option. Either you get rid of things or you can't take that flight; it's more about having to be unattached rather than wanting but, after a while, it becomes a routine or a way of living and you get used to it.

You stop needing things; you no longer crave possessions; you're past the material wants.

Welcome to the simple life, where some clothes and the basic electrical appliances (and obviously the not so basic like a laptop or a cellphone) are your only possessions.

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I haven't used cologne in more than 2 years. Deodorant? Of course not. New clothes? I got a jacket for a cold November in Krakow and I got three new shirts for a hot February in the Caribbean - one I'm wearing, by the way. Do you like it? - and that's pretty much every clothing I've bought in the past 3 years.

I sold my car, my motorcycle, my fancy clothes. Do I go to fancy restaurants? No, I can't afford them. Am I a regular customer in beach clubs or rooftops in the Caribbean? Hell no. I just go to the beach shirtless and shoeless, with only my swimsuit, my volley ball and a bottle of water, no sunscreen (I know, I know).

The truth is, the simple life is not for everyone. Sometimes I even wonder if it is for me or if I just lead a simple life because I have no option but, If 'm being honest, I love it.

The simple life is freedom and for me, freedom is worth more than any material possession one could ever have.

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