MINIMALIST TRAVEL

In a world of consumerism, with advertisements blaring about the newest gadgets, be it in technology or home needs or personal needs, a person is made to feel inadequate in spite of everything necessary for a comfortable life. What then is ‘Minimalist Lifestyle’? It would be the need to have the realization of what and how much one requires to live a happy, decent life and the discernment to know which things in life are redundant or unnecessary luxuries. One can go overboard on all the three necessities of life, be it food, clothing or shelter. A close examination of one’s pantry and refrigerator will disclose how much of hoarding takes place everyday such as cans and bottles, which have not been opened in weeks or months, and food, nearing their expiry date. Similarly a look into the closet will tell you how many clothes and shoes have not been used for a very long time. Even appliances in the home are often duplicated or even more than what is necessary. One of the most common reasons for hoarding is the ‘What if’ syndrome. Here, the person tends to think ‘What if” I suddenly have people loading up and don’t have enough food or drinks? ‘What if’ the weather gets cold and I don’t have enough warm clothes? The list can be endless. Another reasoning is ‘My gadgets are getting old fashioned’ even though they are still very functional. Minimalism is realizing what one really needs and what one can easily do without and having the self control to resist the temptation to buy more and more. When it comes to travelling, it is interesting to see people who only walk in with carry-on bags at the check in counter of airports while others struggle with luggage that is difficult to manage. Minimalistic Travel would be a great principle to follow here. How would one practically use the principle of Minimalist Travel? Starting with clothing, depending on the number of days you travel, a traveler can have a couple of trousers , which coupled with half a dozen lightweight blouses can give the semblance of variety in dressing. One of them can be an evening or party wear top. Shoes should be no more than the sneakers you wear for the travel with one good dressy pair for that evening wear. Toiletries can be minimized by putting in the smallest containers available. Thanks to airlines cutting down on the number of check in bags and the weight a person can carry onboard, many people have started thinking on minimalistic lines. Eject from your bags, the hair dryer or the iron or the hair straightener or even that extra pair of shoes, and just settle for what your hotels or hosts can provide. You can truly travel ‘footloose and fancy free’ with a little bit of thought and planning! Keeping things simple while enjoying the travel is the basic concept promoted by minimalist travel ideology.