A Note on Traveling, Collecting Experiences and How It Helps me Feel more Fulfilled and Happy
This is not a post about minimalism.
My house is not all white and gray and spacious. Sometimes when I am cooking, I have to cut my ingredients on my dining table because my kitchen counter looks more like a liquidation sale shelf.
However, I do not like to spend money on things I do not need. I guess you could say I am an “Essentialist.”
I do not get rid of things just for the sake of getting rid of things or because it doesn’t spark joy anymore, but rather because I do not like owning more things than I need to.
I have the same work bag that I used to travel, however I will not use the same bag when I am going to a sleepover because the 2 bags do not serve the same purpose.
I do not spend money on clothes but instead of having a minimal amount of the same clothes, I will buy more of the same clothes just so I do not have to do laundry every couple of days.
When you have more things that serve the same purpose, you have to maintain it and take care of it. Honestly, I am just too lazy for that.
Minimalist would prefer to have as little material things as possible, I still have stuffs that I like to collect and own. I have 6 pair of headphones, I have a number of watches (an interest that I share with my dad) and many others.
I could download a digital version of a song, but if I am a fan of the music, I will buy the CD.
My de-cluttering report that I have done last year was true and honest but I had been having trouble throwing or donating the rest of my stuffs because I do keep mementos from my childhood, friends and family.
Something that I can relate to when it comes to minimalism, however is collecting experiences and traveling.
A friend of the family once told me,
“You don’t look twice at souvenirs that you got from traveling, and you may forget what a place looks like if you travel enough, but you always remember the feeling being somewhere, because feeling is not done by your head, but rather by your heart“
I promised my wife when Mason was born that every year we will travel at least once to a place that we have not been before.
When I travel with Mason and my wife, I could give my full attention to my family.
The face that Mason makes the first time he was on the beach.
The face (even his cries) that he makes 2 seconds later when a wave came crashing on him.
The happiness that my wife feels when she finally gets that perfect picture of her OOTD (“Outfit of the Day” for those that are not in the know).
Risking sounding dramatic, for these few moments, life clicks and I found the reason why I welcome hard work and things I have to deal with at work.
Due to the pandemic, this year I have been reluctant to travel but I hope when this all dies down, I can start traveling again.
