Simple Life

In September 2009, I took a solo trip to the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I was supposed to go with a friend but he was unable to go. I decided to keep my date with the little cabin on the shores of Mirror Lake in the heart of the Porkies. I wasn't really thinking about Thoreau or Walden at the time but looking back at the trip, I remember how simple things got.

• Fetching water for drinking and cooking
• Making a meal using the same pan every day
• Quietly eating while looking out over the lake
• Eating every meal out of the same bowl or plate
• Cleaning up
• Getting up when it was light
• Going to bed when was dark
• Taking short day hikes away from the cabin and back

The first day, the very simplicity of it was disconcerting. My mind and body were not used to such a slow pace. But by the fourth day, I had slowed down into the rhythm of a simple existence. It was as natural as breathing.

Trying to find this or create this in day-to-day life is challenging. But I'm convinced that it is possible. Last year, I moved to Pittsburgh PA for a job opportunity and we (my wife and I) have seized this opportunity to try and live more simply. We went from a 1200 sq foot single family home to a 760 sq foot townhouse that is part of a coop. We have donated, sold, or given away more than 50% of our furniture. We had enough books to fill 4 large bookcases. 90% of them have been donated to the library. We had a large china cabinet filled with dishes and now we are down to just a few things that we love which can fit on one shelf in the kitchen.

With each step all I can say is that I feel better and more free now that I'm free of all that "stuff." My mind keeps coming back to that trip each time I take a step forward which tells me that I'm are on the right track. If what I'm doing (or not doing) reminds me of that simple rhythm I experienced, then I know I'm closer to creating that simple life.