Accumulate Memories, Not Things

The last couple of months have been a bit of an eye opener. I'm living in the middle of nowhere, in a ginormous house, living with a couple of opened boxes. The rest is still stored away, and now they won't be opened for several more months. As much as I thought that I would miss all those things, I haven't. We have been doing fine without.

We are in search of a tiny studio while our house is being built, and that means we won't have the luxury of space like we do here. Our plan is to keep everything but the bare bones in storage. I'm nervous but also excited. The lack of excess has been quite liberating. Previously, I have relied on stuff to make me happy, and stuff to fill my time. And now that I don't have stuff, I'm finding the joy in little things.

This makes me think about why it is that we start to accumulate so many things, and whether these things actually mean anything to us. Personally, I always feel like buying this one thing will make me happier. Sometimes, they really do. But other times, they really don't. The thought of getting the item makes me happier than actually having it in my hand. Once it's in my hands, that excitement is gone, and I'm wondering what the next item that I want is.

The most happiness that I have felt has been spending time with family. And I want my spending to reflect that. In the past and even currently, it does not reflect that. Over the next couple of months, I'm going to really work on that - accumulating memories, and not things. I'm thinking of a challenge for July, and I hope you'll join me!

Kaolee

If you ever get the choice to drive alongside the Columbia River, I hope you pick the Washington side. You'll never be disappointed. I promise!