Packing, minimalism and waste management
There is something weirdly addictive about getting rid of all your belongings. There are numerous articles, books and movies about decluttering your life. With less than a week before riding off, I realise how much I already Marie Kondo-ed out of my house. Our travel provided us with the perfect opportunity to assess the amount of stuff we have. It allowed me to ask myself the question: do I really need 35 plants, 3 pairs of sports shoes and 8 different kinds of cooking oil?
An important part of motorcycle travelling is the limited amount of available space. The motorcycles only have two cases and room for a bag. That's why we need to pack really carefully and use the available space creatively. That is: trying to find the most highly concentrated soaps, making little bags of blended spices, and pack and unpack until everything fits. All of this helps finding out what is important to bring and what not. In the end, it's best to travel light.
After having thrown away 95% of our belongings, there will still be clutter in our luggage: a specific tool or unused piece of clothing. But that's something to sort out later, during the journey, when we've figured out how badly we need everything we took with us.
At home everywhere
We could have chosen to sublet our apartments and hold on to all belongings that stay in the Netherlands. But selling everything provides an extra bit of freedom. Now we can fully focus on where we are at that moment, and not on some faraway place. An integral part of the journey is to feel at home in the here and now and to enjoy life with the little things we have.
Not know what will happen when we return, what our home will be, isn't something that scares me. Having my home with me every day, makes me think that finding a new one will be easy.
Where does it all go?
The newly available headspace, I can now fill up with valuable new experiences made along the way.
Except for my collection of snow globes, I tried to make sure all of my things would go to a new home, or be recycled. The snow globes were ritually shattered. But most of my furniture, I sold or gave away. It feels great to make other people happy. A little girl proudly told me she was going to start playing the djembe and she had saved up for one. She considered mine a bargain. Being free of material ties, feels like ultimate freedom. The newly available headspace, I can now fill up with valuable new experiences made along the way.
