I was talking about belongings with a friend of mine.
The question arose: what is it that I no longer keep with me after a year? Of what I packed when I left.
I made a minimalist quick inventory.
What did I leave behind on the trip?
I took this picture 384 days ago. I packed it two hours before departure, and in the end, I didn’t make a list before.
So now this picture is the starting point for the inventory.
I still “live a minimalist life”, or rather “I am living an advanced level of minimalist living“.
Therefore, the negative side of the inventory is not a big task.
In the picture you can see a pair of jeans with a matching belt. I ended up not bringing this, I put it back in the closet after the picture was taken. There was a hair clipper in the package. I gave this to a hotel employee in Bali. Also in Bali I gave the two packs of cards and the Rubik’s cube in the picture as a gift.
I read the only book in the picture, digitized it for my notes. Then I left it on the bookshelf of my second accommodation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Maybe one day another Hungarian reader will come across it and find it useful.
I brought a course notebook with me. This was only because I didn’t have time to digitize it in Hungary. I did this on the island of Koh Samui and threw the notebook in the trash there.
I also brought a pair of beach shoes with me. These broke on the first use. Or rather, this was its second use, because I had used them once before in Croatia. So they also ended up in the trash.
The sea claimed one of the socks I brought with me in Bali. I declared one of them a heroic death after one of the muddy incidents and buried it in a trash can.
Although they are not visible in the picture, one of the smaller bags contained my blood pressure medications. The trash can also ate them. Among the general medications, there was one that had since expired. I didn’t keep these either.
I also had two shorts. Both were badly worn during the trip. I had one of them sewn up in Vietnam, but I don’t use it. Regardless, I won’t throw it away, because it’s also a spare. I folded the other one into the bottom of my laptop bag. That way, there’s extra impact protection under my laptop. If I drop the bag harder on the ground, the laptop won’t dampen my carelessness.
What didn’t I use?
There’s only one thing I don’t use on a daily basis, but I haven’t thrown it away. It’s my sweater. I wore it once. When we went to watch the sunrise in Bali at dawn by a volcano. It was cold then. I could have done without the sweater, but if I had it, I would have put it on on the way there.
Regardless, I won’t throw it away. It’s the only thing I have that can come in handy at any time.
I also have a first aid kit. I haven’t had to use it once. Naturally, I’ll keep it.
What did I buy in a year?
Before the Gibbon Experiences jungle tour, I bought a pair of long sweatpants. They said I’d need them in the jungle.
I didn’t need them. So I only wore this item of clothing once. When I tried it on in the store. I’m not going to throw it away. I’ve been to cold places in the past, and I’ve been cold. It’s good to have a plan B.
I also have the sarung I bought in Bali in my backpack. I haven’t used it since, but I’m sure I might need it again. Especially if I actually go to India.
I’ve been to a Decathlon store once. I bought two socks and a new pair of shorts there. Since then, I’ve worn these pants day and night. I usually wash them while I’m taking a shower, and they’ll have time to dry by the next morning.
I also bought new beach shoes on the trip. I wore them twice. The last time was when I visited “Rục Mòn cave – Fell but don’t die”. It bled there.
Once, I thought I lost a sock during one of the washes. At that time, a friend of mine gave me a new pair of socks. He was already heading to Europe, so he didn’t need them.
Another time, I found a nice scarf in the forest. I put this away because it’s nice to wipe away sweat. I can say that it was a useful find.
A friend gave me a color-changing, neon light. I carried this around for a while, but the last time it broke in my backpack on the bottom of a bus. The backpack must have been gently thrown away.
I have three books. I took two from a bookshelf where I could get them for free. I bought one for myself a few weeks ago.
I now have two bracelets, which are new purchases from last year.
I also had two sunglasses. One is in my laptop bag, but I don’t really use it. The other was in my backpack. It broke there. I threw it away two weeks ago when I noticed that it no longer worked.
And of course there are the iconic headphones that I’ve written about a few times. The one I left Hungary with has long since been in the trash. I have the last copy I bought in my ears. And I have three in my bag right now. One that’s good, but I don’t like it. It’s my backup. There’s the one that’s broken on the right side. And there’s the pair that I lost the case for the last time. I’m going to throw those last two out when I go to bed tonight.
I found a pair of scissors here in Vietnam. The headphones made me think I’d take them out of my bag tonight. I thought I’d use them. I was wrong.
So, after today’s inventory, all I have to do is throw away a few things.
Balance
If I look at the big picture, the contents of my two bags haven’t changed much.
I occasionally throw out all the little things that I still had or collected along the way.
I gave away everything I found or received as gifts along the way.
The inventory confirmed that I only have what I use or really need in an emergency.
On 3 occasions, I only had my small backpack with me for days. I’m not saying that I would be able to live with even less in the long run. But this year also included the fact that I managed my everyday life with just one small backpack.
After a year, I still dare to say that I live a minimalist life.
Really.
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