Our backyard and trees that won’t exist soon…
Wow, it’s been a while. I’ve been much more active over on Instagram lately (asmalllife) and ye olde blog has fallen by the wayside. But, I thought I’d pop in with a little life update. Sometimes it feels weird sharing my life specifics online, regardless, I thought I’d let you know why there’s been some silence.
So, here’s the hot goss: Continue reading
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” ― Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
It’s taken me weeks to write this post. I was hoping that by taking a break from the blog and from my “regular” job, I’d be able to answer some questions I’ve been asking myself for an entire year. 2015 was a big ol’ year of questions for me. I asked myself “why” more than I’ve ever asked myself “why” in my entire life. But even after a break, I don’t have any answers. And I suppose it was naive to think that I’d be able to answer life’s questions in a couple of weeks.
Here’s what I do know: I know that for me, 2016 needs to be the year of being brave. I’m not setting any goals or making any resolutions. What I am going to do is focus on one little word: Brave. (Idea shamelessly stolen from the inspiring Ali Edwards.)
I’m going to be 30 this year. (Dear Lord.) And I need to start doing what is right for me instead of what is expected of me. I need to live in the moment and not focus so intently on the future. I need to do the things I’ve dreamed about. I need to be brave.
Here’s hoping 2016 will be a year of answers for me.
Love always,
Melanie
“A failure is not a mistake… the real mistake is to stop trying.”
Lately I’ve had a hard time keeping up with this blog. I love it, but sometimes it can be a real slog. I have a full-time job and a life. I see very little income from this endeavor and it’s easy to give up on it. No one is holding me accountable. It’s just me here. Negative thoughts can get to me from time to time, but I know that it would be a mistake to give up. My goal will always be to share my story of living small in order to help others do the same. It won’t change and I won’t stop trying.
Fist bump emoji and love,
melanie
Mother nature doesn’t hurry, but she gets shit done.
Here’s hoping your Tuesday is full of unhurried productiveness!
love,
melanie
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
It doesn’t matter if your house, garage or list of accolades are expanding. What matters is that your courage, and in turn, your life are expanding.
Happy Tuesday!
love,
melanie
More than anything else, changing your life is about courage. Do you have enough courage to defy societal norms, to “rage against the machine,” to live with less and to move in the opposite direction? Most people don’t have that kind of courage. But you aren’t most people.
Let’s go against the grain.
love,
melanie
P.S. Don’t forget tomorrow we’ll be discussing The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.
It is best when things are both.
love,
melanie
We’ve been living in the Airstream for a year and a half now. Whuuuuutttt. Some days it feels as if we’ve lived there forever and other days it feels like we just moved in yesterday. But that’s what life is like, am I right? We’ve now got our routines down and our lives seem very “normal” for living in 188 square feet.
I do have to admit, old man winter is not my favorite person right now. Staying warm in an Airstream can be a challenge. (Read more about how we stay warm here.) When it’s cold outside, I just want to hibernate, but it is so important for my sanity to get out and go places and do things. The struggle is real.
We did get a blessed glimpse of spring this past weekend and I feel renewed. I’m so ready for working in my garden and long hikes in the woods and cooking on our fire pit! All that snow was pretty, but I’m ready for you, spring.
Are you seeing glimpses of spring in your neck of the woods? Let me know in the comments!
love,
melanie
How many things can you let alone? Can you let alone greed and indifference? Can you let alone self-destruction, ill thoughts and mean words? Minimalism isn’t just about letting physical things alone, it’s also about letting behaviors alone.
And that kids is something to think about.
love,
melanie
Yes, going back to a simpler life is a choice, but it is not a step backwards. It’s a step in the right direction. It’s a step towards happiness. It’s a step towards the life you truly want to live. It’s a difficult step, but it isn’t a backwards one.
Happy Tuesday, friends.
love,
melanie