Travel - Less is more

The other day someone asked me what I loved so much about travelling and it was not in a flippant passing way but we got into all the elements of travel and one thing that kept come up was having less. I love many aspects of travelling, to see unique and beautiful places, to experience cultures, to meet new people the list goes on. But, 0ne of my other favourite things is the simplicity. When I was back-packing I had one backpack for six months and I did not just manage but I enjoyed, just having the things I could carry on my back. Having less stuff was actually a blessing, it made me more resourceful and creative and it was a freeing experience.

Boating in Northern Vietnam

Before I left I was worried that I would not have enough clothes, toiletries and enough stuff in general. When you are living the travelling life you realise how this pressure and expectation you but on stuff matters less. You wear your clothes more and wear them differently and in doing so you realise that you are learning a different way of appreciating your possessions. If something did not have a use, I did not take it with me and the things I did take I used them all, many times over. I had a greater appreciation for my one pair of trainers that became my walking shoes, my travelling shoes and my going out shoes.

My tight budget also meant I had to think more creatively about how to transform my day outfit into a dinner outfit. I was more resourceful - I used empty coconut shells to organise my things and a follower traveller tough us a recipe for my friends sun burn of papaya and boiled rice.

This puts in you a position where community naturally occurs. If you do not have something you ask to borrow it, simple. This openess to ask and give help to others opens you up to a community. In our society we live in our individual worlds in many ways. As we have everything we need we tend to be less communal and therefore interact less and have more stuff.

Ella - Sri Lanka

I have tried to take some of these experiences with me into my day to day life, I buy less and when I do I buy better and for a purpose. Something that will last and that will be used many times over. I epicycle, repair, reuse my clothes and things, I try and live a minimum waste life. Using apps like 'OLIO' and 'toogoodtogo' have been good platforms to reduce waste and share. In doing these things I have become more creative and considerate about the planet and the people who make the things I consume by researching and reflecting on the items I buy and their origins.