social change through simple living » travel

The Art of Traveling Lightly

Tammy Strobel — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:42:03 +0000

Five years ago, I was a one of “those travelers.” You know who I’m talking about, the person at the airport who is juggling large bags stuffed to the max and has to shove their giant carry-on suitcase into the overhead compartment.

I always packed a lot of stuff for any trip I took, whether the journey was long or short. I usually had a big duffel bag stuffed with clothes, a lap top case, a cosmetic pouch and a purse; that’s a lot of stuff to travel with and it’s a pain to deal so many bags, whether you’re flying or driving. Plus, I would always worry about my stuff getting lost, broken or stolen.

As I thought about my past packing habits, I had to giggle because it was so silly. Especially, since I didn’t use most of the stuff that I crammed into my suitcases. The majority of my clothes, books, and gadgets sat untouched for most of my journey. Or I’d waste an inordinate amount of time fretting over what outfit I wanted to wear to dinner.

Now my packing habits are completely different. Before I leave for any type of trip, I ask myself two questions:

- What will I be doing?
- What type of climate will I be in?

Answering those two basic determines what comes with me. Let me give you a quick example. Last weekend, Logan and I went on a small road trip. We drove down to Little Shasta to visit family and relax. I knew we’d be lounging around the house, helping out with chores, and eating a lot of amazing food. Also, the weather wasn’t going to be too hot or cold, but just right.

Even though I’ve downsized my stuff, I’m still apt to pack my whole closet. To solve this problem, I put half the clothes I was planning on bringing along back in the closet. Most of my outfits center around my black dress. It goes with everything and it’s easy to mix and match with sweaters, shirts and leggings.

Here’s the final list of stuff that made it into my travel bag:

- Camera
- Computer
- iTouch
- Cords for my gadgets
- Phone
- One book
- One black dress
- Gray and black leggings
- Pajama’s
- Two Tank Tops
- Two sweaters
- One coat
- Walking shoes and flip flops
- A knitting project
- My journal
- A Hat
- My tiny cosmetic bag

As I was writing out this list, I was a little disturbed by the number of gadgets that made the trip with me. I used all of them over the weekend, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s time to downsize my gadget collection.

Parting words . . .

Traveling lightly is an art because you have to carefully chose the things you are going to bring along. The more multi-purpose items you pack, the less stuff you have to carry. With less stuff to worry about you can focus on the people and places you’re visiting, instead of worrying about losing stuff or trying to decide what outfit to wear.

The same goes for all the stuff we use in our everyday life. A lot of folks don’t understand why we want to downsize our home or live with so little, but they always seem to understand why we’d want to travel with less. It’s easier to travel with less because there isn’t so much stuff to fret over. In the end, it comes back to answering a few key questions:

- How much do I need?
- How much is enough?

Answering these questions isn’t easy. But once you figure out what works for you, traveling lightly becomes a metaphor for life.

How to Prepare for a Vagabonding Adventure

Tammy Strobel — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:25:24 +0000

If you’ve dreamed of seeing the world, go vagabonding! Vagabonding involves taking an extended break from “normal life” to travel the world.

“…beyond travel, vagabonding is an outlook on life. Vagabonding is about using the prosperity and possibility of the information age to increase your personal options instead of your personal possessions.” ~Rolf Potts

Within the next few years, we plan on biking across the U.S. and have taken a number of steps to prepare for the adventure. By simplifying our lives and paying off our debt, we’ll be able to take an extended sabbatical via bicycle.

If you want to go vagabonding preparation is key. Below are 6 essential actions you need to take before hitting the road.

1. Learn to live with less.

Leading a simple and minimalist lifestyle are essential components of vagabonding. The freedom to go vagabonding isn’t dependent on your income level. Instead, it’s about being aware of how you use your current income.

Micro-action: Examine your expenses. How can you decrease your spending?

2. Stop expanding and keep it simple.

Curb your materialism and stop buying stuff you don’t need. Consumer culture has told us over and over again that to be happy we should buy more stuff. Don’t buy into what the status-quo tells you. Stay out of the mall.

Prior to leaving for the road, sell, donate or lend out your stuff. There is no need to hold on to clutter while you’re traveling the world. It’s amazing what you can get by without.

Micro-action: Your life options are more than consumer options. So the next time you’re tempted to buy a new gadget or pair of shoes, ask yourself:

How much time do I need to work for this item?

And how can I use this money to fulfill my dream of traveling?

3. Eat at home.

It’s tempting to eat out frequently. On the surface it seems easy and somewhat healthy. But how many times have you waited in a long line just to pay a lot for a cup of coffee or a sandwich?

Making good meals at home is less expensive, will save you time, and is a fantastic skill to cultivate.

Micro-action: If you eat out a lot, slowly cut back and start making food at home.

4. Sell your car(s).

If you live in a city and have good health, you don’t need a car. By selling your car, you’ll save $9,000 per year. All of that cash can be set aside to save for travel purposes. As a side effect,when I sold my cars I also lost about 15 pounds and became more physically fit.

Micro-action: Add up how much you spend on your car every year. Expenses will include car payments, interest on you car loan, gas, insurance, maintenance, parking tickets, etc. In my calculation I also included the expense I used to have for a gym membership.

5. Rent out your home.

If you own a home, rent it out while you’re traveling. You can make a little extra cash while you’re vagabonding and come back to your abode once your adventure is over. Make sure you pay your bills in advance, like your mortgage.

Micro-action: Consider hiring a rental management firm to take care of your property while you’re away.

6. Rein in your debt.

“The more we associate experience with cash value, the more we think that money is what we need to live.” -Rolf Potts

Being free from debt will give you more options. So before you hit the road, pay off as much debt as possible. By reducing your debt, you’ll literally earn the freedom to travel.

Micro-action: Read Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts

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If this post helped you, please share the content with your tribe! Thanks for your support.

Note: This post was originally published on Life Without Pants. It has been updated and edited for RowdyReaders. Since I’m on the road this weekend, I thought it would be the perfect article to share again. Cheers!

One Year and $5,000 Changed My Life

Tammy Strobel — Fri, 21 May 2010 13:00:18 +0000

Editors Note: I’m taking this week off to spend quality time with my mom.

The following is a guest post by Jessica Reeder. I’m a huge fan of Jessica’s work, writing and commitment to community building. You’ll see why once you read this fantastic article. Jessica recently launched an awesome blog called Love and Trash. Stop by and check it out!

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I’ve always had a lot of stuff. By the time I was 25, I had a truckload of possessions (most of them stained and dented); a leased car; two separate wardrobes for work and play… and the list goes on.

From that point, I started relying on money. I needed enough income to pay for my car, and I also needed a big enough apartment for all my things. I needed money to spend at San Francisco clubs every weekend, and I also needed fabulous outfits to wear to those clubs. I needed good haircuts, and awesome shoes.

You can see where this is going. After a while, I realized that my lifestyle no longer fit my personality. Like anybody else, I was a slave to my stuff. I was no longer able to live in connection with the natural world as I’d been raised. I could see blue skies through my window, but never had time to go outside. I had two, sometimes three jobs and a recurring headache. I was developing weird addictions and health problems.

It was time to make a drastic change: I started giving things away.

Getting rid of my stuff was an time-consuming process, however. It took years to wean myself off my piles of beautiful junk. I had time to think about why I was doing it, where I wanted to end up. It was mid-Bush era, and after marching against oil wars I’d also come to recognize my dependence on that oil. I dropped off my car and walked away on foot. But it wasn’t enough.

I wanted to find a way to live more naturally, with less energy expended and more chance for fulfillment. But I really didn’t know how. How could I reconcile my desire for simplicity with my love for the new and fashionable? Was there a way to be sustainable without being a barefoot hippie? And if going hippie was the only way, how would I make the change? I knew nothing about gardening, cooking, keeping chickens. My internet skillz wouldn’t help me in the “real” world.

At the same time, I realized that I couldn’t stay in California, not permanently. Property values, rents, the cost of living (especially in the Bay Area) were ridiculous, and I’d never be able to slow down if my expenses stayed high. I wanted to find a place to settle down, get some land, build an energy-efficient house. But where? California was all I knew.

So, at the age of 30, I decided to have an adventure.

I bought a 5×8′ trailer, packed my remaining possessions into it, and parked it in my dad’s backyard. I threw a few things into a backpack and set out on the road with $5,000 in savings. My goal was to find a place to live, and the skills to build a new life from the ground up. I would blog the whole thing at Uprooted, an eco/travel blog.

Four months later, the economy crashed and most of my coworkers were laid off. I suddenly found myself with an advantage: I’d gotten out before things got bad, and I was ready and able to live on pennies. Despite my fear and despite feeling sorry for those who weren’t so fortunate, I realized that I really was…lucky.

Over the next year, my luck continued. With only that $5,000, I traveled throughout America. I worked on farms, built Earthships, camped, volunteered, and met amazing people. I discovered a massive, powerful undercurrent running through our country. Everywhere I went, everyone I met had opinions on the environment. Everybody (aside from a few hardy souls in San Francisco, LA, Texas and New York) was making some kind of effort to reduce their impact.

Some of the most inspiring folks were the ones you might pre-judge as top offenders. A Republican construction worker in Colorado gave me a ride in his big white truck. He drove back and forth from Denver to Boulder every day, he said, and always tried to pick up a rideshare so he didn’t feel so bad about wasting the gas.

An Arizona insurance agent in his 50s told me he’d dropped all his work for six months to volunteer on an organic farm, simply because it felt like the right thing to do.

A good-old-boy cab driver in Arkansas waxed poetic about wildlife management, hunters’ responsibilities and urban encroachment.

Then there were the liberals, the anarchists, the artists and freegans. So many people, working to change the world with only their callused hands and fevered brains. Experiments in architecture, agriculture, transportation and community: they were everywhere, all around. And every time my passion began to flag, a new and exciting experience would come along to sweep me up again.

I landed back in California in late 2009, worn out and entirely changed. I knew what I wanted now, and I knew it was achievable. It all seemed so easy. But I’d also come to recognize that the current that had been sweeping me around the country was still under the surface. Many of the people I’d met felt unrecognized, alone in their efforts. That’s part of why I’d had such good fortune: the people I’d met were achingly eager to share their knowledge with the greater public, but they didn’t have the means to do it.

I decided to become their means. It was time to focus on the individuals, the little actions, the possible and entertaining side of sustainable living. I wanted to build a bridge between those who were living like I was five years ago, and those who are living like I will five years from now. And so, Love and Trash was born.

We’re a brand-new DIY blog dedicated to radical interdependence, small possible actions, and grassroots inspiration. We like to focus on real people and real possibilities—because although it’s wonderful to dream about a mansion made from recycled materials, none of us ever expect to live in one. Rather, we expect to have small, modest houses, happy families, a garden and a few chickens, and the opportunity to create a tiny sphere of goodness in a world full of trash.

Please, join us. And if you believe in what I do, please, donate to help me continue my work and take Uprooted around the world in 2011.

If this post helped you, please share it with your tribe! Thanks.

Note: Photography by Jessica Reeder

Portland Bound!

Tammy Strobel — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:13:43 +0000

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we made some big decisions. I decided to leave my day job and we’re moving to Portland at the end of January.

I’m excited, sad and scared all at the same time. Leaving my day job, friends and Sacramento were hard decisions to make. I work with amazing people and have learned an incredible amount at this job. Sacramento has been a great city to us and we have made so many good friends that it makes leaving bitter sweet.

The questions on the tip of everyone’s tongue is: Where are you going to work? And why are you leaving such an awesome job?!?

Logan is nearly done with his PhD program and has a number of teaching prospects in the Portland area. He’s thrilled to be finishing his Ph.D; it’s been a long haul and he is also sad to leave behind mentors and friends at the university.

I’ve decided to take some time off, settle into Portland and get to know the community. After this short sabbatical, I’ll plunge into my new career: freelancing! I’ve got a number of projects lined up and I’m incredibly excited. Being location independent has been on my life list for years. Living a simple and frugal lifestyle has helped us make this dream a reality.

Moving to Portland has been on our life list for a while and it’s perfect timing to make the leap. We’re extremely fortunate to have the liberty to make such a decision; especially when you consider the current economic climate and high unemployment rates. With that in mind, we’ve prepared for the best and the worst and we are ready to start a new chapter in our lives.

We look forward to the new challenges and opportunities this transition will bring. With an optimistic spirit we say “farewell Sacramento, and hello Portland!”