Minimalism by Accident

When we first started traveling every three months for my partner’s travel nurse contracts, we were hauling around so much stuff. Two cars completely packed. Every inch was filled with bags, bins, kitchen gear, winter coats, workout stuff, and honestly just a lot of things I thought I needed to feel settled.

At the time, it felt necessary. I didn’t know what each place would be like or what I’d want access to. So I brought everything. Things I hadn’t touched in years. That random pan I swore I’d use. Gear for hobbies I barely had time for anymore.

But with every move, I started noticing how little I actually used. I wasn’t snowboarding every week like I used to. I wasn’t climbing all the time or camping every weekend. So I sold my snowboard boots, my climbing harness, and a lot of my old outdoor gear that had just become dead weight. I figured if I ever wanted to do something, I could rent instead of dragging it all across the country to sit in a closet.

Same thing happened with my clothes. I used to pack huge bins thinking I’d want options, but I wore the same outfits on repeat. Now I rent clothes from Nuuly each month. It keeps things fresh without having to carry a full wardrobe from state to state.

Little by little, we started letting things go. Every new contract and every new Airbnb became a chance to ask, do we actually use this? If not, we donated it, sold it, or gave it away.

We’ve gone from two packed cars to one. Just a few bags. The essentials. The dogs, of course.

And honestly, it feels good. Lighter. Easier. It is not that I don’t miss some of those things sometimes, but I do not miss the clutter or the stress of managing it all.

Minimalism was never the goal. It just kind of happened because life kept moving and we had to keep up. But now I really love how it feels to live with less. More space. More flexibility. Less to worry about.