Voluntary Simplicity

Voluntary Simplicity- On the Road

Where should I be from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM? That is my morning question. Free parking in the municipal lot ends at 8:00 and the public library doesn't open until 10:00. In Boulder, most parking spots are purchased or have a two hour time limit, which makes being an indigent nomad difficult. I've been living in my truck since I arrived in Boulder Saturday.

Before the move out West, while packing to take the long drive, I had to leave behind half of the bulk I'd brought with me for a summers stay in Pennsylvania: toys and non-necessities, plastic storage bins filled with extra clothes, a spa's worth of toiletries, an old fashioned camera, an inflatable exercise ball, trail maps, cooking spices and a food processor are among the items that come to mind. Many of the things I left behind don't come to mind, a sure sign that they are inconsequential.

On the long drive from New Jersey to Colorado, I had ample time to not only contemplate but viscerally experience the affects my material hoarding has on my life. While trying to sleep in the cab of my Toyota 4-Runner, I was always shoving stuff over so I could have a little niche for my sleeping bag. When it comes to basic tasks like making breakfast in a parking lot or charging my cell phone, digging through excess baggage is a drudge. Now that I am reconnecting with the basics of my life, I want to keep simplifying. I'm feeling the freedom of not having so much stuff to take care of. I want it gone... so I've decided to keep living in my truck and to say goodbye to my excess.