Packing: An exercise in Minimalism

I have still got nearly three months to go but already the bag is open on my bedroom floor and is rapidly filling up with odd stuff to take with me.

I must admit, packing my life up is proving to be a liberating experience, and scarceley have I spent a happier afternoon than filling up black bin-liners with stuff that I no longer wear/use/want but which nevertheless has been hanging around my life for too long. I am really enjoying stripping back to the bare essentials, and cant wait to get on the plane with only those few essential, important items that make up the being that is Me. 'Stuff' equals 'Baggage' in my book, and the fewer things I take with me the better. I'm finding that being that frugal with myself is really helping to clarify whats important to take with me, and the more things I throw out, the clearer they become. They include, amongst others:-

• Laptop - okay, so I grew up in the digital era, and am increasingly becoming melded as one to this little cuboid of technology. But, when I'm in Vietnam, my laptop will be everything. Not only will I have lesson plans and resources on there, but I'll also be updating the blog, skyping, emailing, researching lessons, watching dvds and listening to music too. Gosh, I sound like such a techno-geek dont I. But thats just my generation, so ner :

• Entertainment - At great personal sacrifice, I am leaving all but two paperback books behind, reasoning that books are just too bulky and heavy, and really unnecessary. (those books I am taking, by the way, are purely to read on the plane, given that its going to take the best part of 24hrs to get there!). Instead I am taking a small CD wallet of DVDs to keep me going, and only taking those films that are important to me. Among them are 'The Bucket List', 'Into the Wild' and 'The History Boys'. Anyone who wants to understand me and why I'm going, watch those three films!!

• Clothes - this has probably fallen prey to my biggest and most dramatic attack of minimalism and frugality. Did you know that most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time? That 80% unworn portion of my wardrobe has gone straight to the charity shop (which is, incidentally, where most of it came from), and of whats left, I'm still only going to take about half of it!

With the exception of boring stuff like first aid kit and mosquito repellant, thats pretty much it! Like I said, to me, 'stuff' equals 'baggage', and nobody wants that!

tam biet for now,
S xx