I know I write a fair bit on ‘minimalism’ on here and the broad meaning that it has. I’m still not very good at it and am trying to find my way of minimalism. The move to a new country helped. I came with my 2 suitcases and 7 pairs of shoes. I came with a handful of clothing for each summer/winter, all my thermals and 5 jackets which I am yet to wear.
With my summer items, I think I packed well. I brought over x3 tshirts, x3 shorts, x2 dresses and x1 skirt for casual wear. Unfortunately, all the walking here has meant that 1 pair of shorts are now abit too big for me! I have since added another x4 tshirts which was probably too many. One of my white tshirts that I brought over is not so white anymore and unfortunately I made the error of adding another white t-shirt (which is also now not so white). I should stop buying white t-shirts.
I’m not very fond of the fashion style here so I’m pretty sure I’ll be living in my t-shirts.
For work wear, I came with exactly x5 summer work tops and x3 summer work skirts. I have gone through all of these weekly on rotation. I’ve already lost x1 summer work top (which again is white and now not so white) and am not too keen on replacing it as the seasons will soon be changing anyway. I have added a pair of work pants that I purchased here which I love. Whilst my summer skirts can be paired with stockings, 2 of these won’t last the winter as they fabric they’re made from won’t be suitable (linen and bamboo). I’m sure I’ll be able to find a wool skirt or something similar soon.
This has made me realise that I have wayyyy too many clothes back home which I don’t even remember what. This is a new way forward for me!
Apartment wise, I was left with a blank slate. I was given some kitchen utensils (2 plates, 2 bowls, a pan, a saucepan and 1 set of cutlery), fridge, microwave, a mattress and a set of bed sheets. And that’s about it. I have added a stool, a floor couch, a small table and some plants to make my place feel more homey and also so I have somewhere to sit.
I was so focused on what living in a different country would offer me, new food, new culture, new language, new job and new experiences that I didn’t even really think of what it would offer me in my mindset and way of living. I just knew I had limited luggage space to be bringing my things back and forth but didn’t realise how valuable this experience would be. The reset has finally really made me realise how to live minimally (or at least trying to and improving my way to).
Have you experienced any resets in the way that you were living?
Lingo in Transit 
This is really interesting. My husband is military and we went through a stage in his career where we moved three times in four years, and we became very minimal and loved it. We has capsule wardrobes, a basic kitchen etc.
We then moved back to the UK to settle for a four year post and embraced life stuff again…but after a few years we’ve realised we don’t love the ‘stuff’. So our reset, as we live out our last year here and prepare to move again is, back to the bare minimum. It’s a very liberating way to live!
p.s- I have no joy with white clothes either.
Oh my goodness! You must be experts at moving and it must be so much easier when you have less stuff. I’ve been traumatised with stuff after having to empty a shared apartment. How will you cull your excess?
I love white tshirts though. It’s just too bad hahaha.
Wow, I really admire your “capsule wardrobe”! After years of trying to declutter I came to the realisation that I am just not a minimalist and, as much as I hate to admit it – I enjoy having a lot of things… However, I also noticed when I moved away from home, that all the clothes I left were of absolutely no use to me and that I could very well live without them!
Are your clothes still at home? Hahaha, I think it might be liberating when I get back to clean it all out. I was trying to sell dresses before I left but they didn’t sell, which also made me realise even more that clothes not being wore aren’t that great of a deal.
I brought to Brussels my most worn/beloved clothes and left some at home in France that didn’t feel as a priority… and they’ve been there since then (it’s been 3 years) ahahah! I should definitely sell or donate some, but I like to keep some things to wear there – especially loungewear – so I don’t have to pack too much when I visit my mum’s!
Completely understand your experiences here. When I first moved to France, I’d brought one big suitcase and a duffel bag (as a sort of second suitcase), and it turned out that maybe a quarter of the things I packed would not be useful for me (e.g. wrong-sized pillow case, an electric skin exfoliator that broke within a month due to watt differences between the US/France…), and I ended up learning from then. Whenever I left to go back to the US and return to France, I would pack more mindfully, knowing that certain items (e.g. clothes, toiletries) can always be purchased abroad, and to only pack items that I couldn’t readily obtain in France. I really learned how to be minimalist, and the lessons really stuck with me today. After all, it’s a learning process!
Oh yes definitely. Minimalistic living is one tough but reall meaningful life–less will be more. On my move to Kuwait and my next move to Germany, I was always living on 2 suitcases to sum it all up. Now I think I have many paintings than my clothes.. haha.
Anyway I really admire the guts..it takes one step forward to make a change and it´s not comfortable at first but then you´ll realize through time how big leaps you´re making.
New cultures, new habit will be developed, new food, and of course, working in a different language and pattern.
I wish you all the best in your new adventure… I love South Korea so much and I can´t wait to see it next year.
I can imagine you with more paintings (from your posts haha). I’m thinking of it as evolving into the next me. Thank you for your well wishes. Hope you make it here next year!
I love paring things down, and buying new items (not very minimalist) to do the work of several other items (yay minimalist). It’s been said that those who pursue minimalism are actually prone to maximalism, which is why they try their best to cull things from their lives. I just like having less things to think about.
Do share more on your pursuit of minimalism. I’d enjoy it, just as I did this post!
I wonder why sometimes I am so bad at it and at other times I am great? Maybe it’s a decision fatigue or culturally and what I’ve been exposed to by those around me.
Thank you, will do!