I am one of those people who likes stuff. If there’s an empty space on a shelf or in a closet or a drawer, I have always felt the need to fill it. Even my windowsills have traditionally been adorned with little knick-knacks and tchotchkes (yes, I had to look up how to spell that word, and yes, I am aware that I sound like my grandma right now by using it). I’m not talking hoarder status, as I’m far too OCD to let things pile up or get too dirty, but I would definitely consider myself to be a collector of sorts. Antiques, tiny dishes, books, magnets, chopsticks, crystals, wine… lots and lots of “stuff” and “things.” That’s not to say I never get rid of anything, but even when I do a little spring cleaning, I somehow inevitably end up replacing whatever I’ve donated or gotten rid of with something new.

If I’m being honest, I guess I do have slight hoarding tendencies when it comes to food and supplies, but I like to think of that as preparation, not hoarding. About 6 years ago, I ended up in a situation where I moved into a new house, and before I had a chance to go grocery shopping, the area was hit with a massive storm. I was snowed in for 5 days by myself, with nothing to eat except a few protein bars, a gas station sandwich, and some bottles of wine. Needless to say, I spent the majority of my time drunk and hungry, but I did get my house unpacked pretty quickly, so that was a plus. However, I am now of the mind that my pantry must always be full “just in case.” One can never have too many jars of almond butter or too many bags of Trader Joes dried mandarin slices on hand…

From a practical standpoint, I also love convenient appliances and gadgets that make life easier, especially when it comes to kitchen items. How does anyone function without a Keurig or a NutriBullet or an electric whisk?? And yes, I can totally rationalize to myself why I need 20 different sizes and shapes of muffin tins and cake pans, even though I continually use the same 2 pans every time I bake. I also make it a point to be well-stocked in terms of personal items. After the insane panic buying during Covid when the shelves were stripped bare and not a spare square of toilet paper was to be found (I still don’t understand the rationale for that), I’ve made it a point to always have multiple quantities of extra necessities on hand in the event of another plandemic.

But aside from wanting to be prepared for an impending food shortage or the collapse of our economy thanks to Bidenomics, I love to collect things because I associate them with memories. It makes me happy to look around my house and see items that represent places I’ve been, experiences I’ve had, and people who are important to me. Sometimes just walking through my front door makes me smile because I’m instantly reminded of things I care about. I am especially proud of my bookshelves and the hundreds of books I’ve collected over the years. I love books the way some women love Louboutin heels.

So, when The Husband got a job offer overseas, and I had to put the majority of my beloved “stuff” and “things” into storage, I will admit I was a little concerned. Once I found out that the few household items we were shipping overseas would take 2-3 months to arrive, that concern turned to anxiety. And the nail in the coffin was when I found out that Amazon doesn’t deliver to the Czech Republic, so I couldn’t just order my favorite MCT oil coffee creamer or probiotic powder or the specific socks I like to wear to the gym. That was when my concern turned to panic. Not only was I going to have to adjust to life without my treadmill and at-home workout equipment, my desktop computer and office setup for my podcast, my 3 closets full of clothes and shoes, and all the little trinkets and memories I love, but on top of that, the convenience of ordering my favorite snacks and personal items was out the window.

I have always been fascinated by people who voluntarily live a minimalist lifestyle, but it was never something I was interested in. Now it was being thrust upon me. During the 3 weeks I spent packing up the house, I became astonished, and frankly a little embarrassed, to realize I have so much crap that I filled almost an entire 8×10 ft storage unit full of totes. Not actual furniture. No, that is being stored elsewhere. Just totes full of “stuff” and “things.”

When we departed for Europe, I was limited to 3 pieces of luggage (technically 4 if you count a suitcase full of dog supplies), along with my carry-on backpack and a purse. So basically, I took the essentials – clothes, shoes, toiletries, vitamins and medicine, and travel appliances. You know, shit you take on vacation. Except this wasn’t a 2-week vacation, it was a 20-month move to another country.

Okay, I know this sounds unnecessarily dramatic. It’s not like I was heading off to live on a remote island where there were no stores and no civilization. But I was also going way out of my comfort zone (literally) in the sense that I was going to be in a long-term situation where I would no longer have access to the specific comforts and conveniences I was used to on a day-to-day basis. It was no big deal for The Husband after 23 years of military life and multiple deployments, but it was definitely a big deal for me. So, I honestly thought I was going to have a difficult time being separated from all the things I’ve grown to treasure and rely on. But surprisingly, I was wrong.

The first month living in a hotel room was a bit rough, especially being in a small space with a 100 lb dog and 6 suitcases taking up half the room, but once we got out of the hotel and settled into our long-term residence, I realized that a minimalist lifestyle really isn’t that bad. Or at least what I define to be minimalist. Our rental came partially furnished with a dining room table and chairs, a couple of couches, a living room cabinet, several wooden bed frames with mattresses, and a couple of desks. Oddly, none of the rooms in the house have closets, but one bedroom does have a decent sized wall cabinet with some shelves and a section for hanging clothes. The house also came with a refrigerator and a small washing machine, so realistically, it was fairly live-in ready in terms of furniture.

That said, we did have to buy the everyday basics – a set of dishes and silverware, bedsheets and pillows, towels, trash cans and trash bags, a broom and dustpan, a few kitchen appliances, a clothes dryer, and a TV. But aside from these items (and a few other small essentials like a pair of scissors and cleaning products), we really haven’t bought much else, except for some winter clothes. It’s been almost 3 months now, living day-to-day with what I consider to be less than I’ve ever lived with before, and surprise, surprise, I’m doing totally okay. In fact, I’m more than okay. I’m actually totally content with what I have.

Do I miss having a home gym setup where I can just walk into the spare room and hop on the treadmill or lift weights? Absolutely. But I found a fairly decent gym in a community center a few miles away, and there’s a bus stop across the street from my house that drops me off within a 20-minute walk to get there. On the days that I don’t go to the gym, I have my Peloton and Les Mills app to do equipment-free workouts in the house.

Do I miss my fancy podcast setup in my office back home with my desktop computer and the professional microphone that was gifted to me by my previous boss at the winery because he thought my sound quality was shit? Sure. But to be honest, it’s actually super convenient to use my laptop and be able to record from a hotel, any room in the house, or wherever there’s WiFi. And my sound quality may not be as good as it was with the microphone, but nobody has complained, so it can’t be that bad either.

Do I miss my Keurig and my kitchen full of convenient appliances? Of course. But we bought a small single-serve Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine that makes awesome cappuccinos and lattes, and I’m shocked to say that I actually love it more than my Keurig. We also bought a small microwave, an electric kettle, and a basic set of cookware. Yes, I miss my crockpot, my Instant Pot, my air fryer, my toaster, my blender, and all my baking accessories, but I’ve realized I can make a kick-ass soup in a stock pot without all the bells and whistles, and I really only need one baking pan.  

Do I miss my book collection? Oh yes. True book lovers just can’t compare an e-reader to physically holding a book in your hands… turning the pages… smelling the paper… But my pocket-sized Kindle is actually pretty awesome. I may not be able to walk over to my bookshelves and physically hand-select something from my collection, but I have access to thousands of books online whenever I want something new to read.

Most importantly, do I miss all of the decorative items around my house that remind me of the people I love and the places I’ve been? Definitely. But I brought a few framed pictures with me, along with a couple of my favorite tiny dishes and some other small pieces of memorabilia that make me smile. And I have thousands of pictures on my phone that I can look at when I miss my friends and family. Plus, I’m making new memories while on this adventure, so how cool is that?

I guess the strangest thing for me so far is that I haven’t really even wanted to buy stuff to decorate or fill the house, and I find myself frequently thinking that there’s no reason to needlessly spend money when I’m functioning perfectly fine with less. I did get a couple of tiny cactuses to put on the windowsill, and I still want a crockpot at some point, but it’s not a necessity, and I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on anything. Maybe it’s because I’m only going to be here for a limited period of time, but it’s still an odd sensation to walk into the house every day and actually enjoy how sparse and empty it is.

What’s even more bizarre is that I found out I can still order from Amazon by using the German version because Amazon.de delivers to the Czech Republic, but other than purchasing some carpet pads for the wood stairs in our house to make it easier for Miss Millie to go up and down without slipping, I haven’t bought a fucking thing on Amazon. Not one single thing. Maybe this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if you know me, it’s borderline shocking. When I lived in the U.S., I was literally ordering shit from Amazon several times a week. I’m pretty sure the UPS driver in my neighborhood thinks I died since he’s not delivering packages to my house anymore. And what’s even more bizarre is that I haven’t even looked on Amazon.de to see if they have the supplements and snacks I was so adamant I couldn’t live without. Why? Because I’ve been just fine without them.

Initially I felt like a minimalist lifestyle was being forced upon me, but now I find it strangely satisfying. There’s something to be said for the freeing feeling of fewer distractions and less clutter. So, does this mean that I’m going to ditch all of my “stuff” and “things” when I get back to the states and have access to everything I put into storage? In all likelihood, fuck no. But for now, I’m going to enjoy this little flirtation with minimalism, and the positive impact it’s having on both my bank account and my mindset. Plus, it sure does make it easier to clean when you don’t have to move a bunch of shit around to dust and vacuum.

Unapologetically Outspoken,

Tara