-
Simplicity of travel and the burden of stuff
That last quote from Antoine de Saint Exupery was something he’d written about design. But in addition to using it as a bearing point for our business, it has also become a very important goal for us to achieve in our personal lives.
It’s only 1 day until the Grand Adventure Summer ‘09 kicks off, and we’re in a maelstrom of activity trying to bash things into shape with the business and leave the house in a respectable order for our 3 exchange families (no easy task).
And once again it as at this time that we are reminded of how stuff = burden. To travel lightly depends on one’s ability to live without stuff - and for me, this is one of the most enjoyable aspects about leaving our lives behind for a few months. I love the freedom that comes with having a reduced choice of stuff, and the converse of this, the wider possibilities that open up as a result.
Having too much stuff really is a burden to us. I’ve set a goal that when we come back in September we’ll take time off from PeopleMaps and take action to strip ourselves down - starting from the attic, then on to the wardrobes, and all the other cupboards, the bookshelves and the drawers…
There’s no place for sentimentality in this philosophy of simplicity - but that’s ok, I can’t seem to find even a smidgen of sentimentality these days. I’d like to think that I can shrug off this culture of consumerism that has engulfed us all without any regret. That’s not to say that I won’t miss the comfort of Starbucks when we’re away. But a petite café on a pavement in the sun certainly does offer a consumer experience that holds with it a certain air of simplicity, don’t you think?
Image:
