Boldly Lauren

Over a year ago, I wrote about how minimalism had changed my life. From having less to clean, to better mental clarity – letting go of the clutter in my life has been completely life altering. Through this journey, I’ve learned that I don’t need much to be happy, and that living with less has cleared the way for more of what I want in my life like sharing giggles with my husband and toddler (because I have less stuff to clean and tend to, I can be present with them!), room to play, and space for guests to spread out.

When I began this journey, I never quite pictured where it would lead next…which is moving across the country in two small sedans. While I’ve been slowly emptying our house over the last year simply because owning less makes me happy, this move in particular is really aiding the vision in becoming true minimalists. We realized that our possessions weren’t worth the cost of a moving truck, so we decided on driving only our cars and what we can fit in them.

I can’t say I imagined doing this – really ever – but especially as I approach 30 and have a family. The thought of fitting two adults, a toddler, and 3 pets into two small cars and driving across the country to start over is unappealing to a lot of people. I say this mostly because other families we know take on a look of bewilderment when we tell them our plan, usually followed by ‘I could never do that’ or ‘I don’t know how you can do that’.

We see it as an adventure. A clean slate. An opportunity to reevaluate the utmost important things in our lives.

More importantly than what we are getting rid of though, is what we will invite into our space once we arrive. While some people view minimalism as ‘living with as little as possible’ I see it as ‘living with just enough’. Maybe it’s the Swede in me, but I’ve put the phrase ‘lagom’ into practical application for several years now. Lagom essentially means not too little, not too much. It’s about balance – and for me, that balance means having enough that we don’t feel like we’re living in scarcity, but not so much that we’re drowning in our possessions and clutter either.

We will not have much when we arrive to our new home, and I’d like to keep it that way for the most part. What’s most important to me in a home is creating a cozy space that supports the connection of the people within it. The areas of the home that typically do this are the place where we sit to talk over our meals and where we lounge and unwind – the dining table and the living area.

I have a vision of the beautiful, streamlined home we will create, and I can’t wait to take you on this journey with me.

Stay tuned.

XO Lauren

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