Minimalism: a look into the simpler side of life

Faith Meckley, author of the blog “Van Meets World,” first experienced a minimalist lifestyle in 2014 when she participated in the Great March for Climate Action. She traveled with one bag of personal belongings from Taos, New Mexico to Youngstown, Ohio. The community based walk from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. focused on improving the people marching as well as the environment. Every voice in the group was considered, and they focused on the needs of everyone around them as opposed to the individual.

“All the people were operating in a consensus style decision. Everyone had to agree ... everyone had to sign on to it,” said Meckley. This experience drastically altered the way Meckley saw the world, and after a stressful junior year at Ithaca College, Meckley took a leave of absence in Fall 2016, and headed west in her 2000 Chevy Express van-home, named Hayduke. “For me, I knew I was happiest when I was mobile and could travel, and I know that I prefer being outside … my living space pushes me to be outside of the world and engage with it.” From June to early August, Meckley traveled to various National Parks such as the Indiana Sand Dunes National Lakeshore and Yosemite Nation Park. She’s recently slowed down her travels in order to earn money. Four days a week, Meckley wakes up, picks out her work outfit, draws the blinds on her van and gets on the subway to her temporary tour guide position. “I now spend four days a week cruising on a big bus in circles around San Francisco, pointing out cool things to visitors, teaching them about the history of the city, and trying to make them smile and laugh. And I get paid for it,” said Meckley.

Even though Meckley has a job, she still carves out time to enjoy rock climbing, hiking and camping. Recently, Meckley traveled to Lassen Volcanic National Park. Her quest to grow through her actions, instead of material possessions, has left her with a less stressful more fulfilled life.

“I feel very happy that I have everything that I need,” said Meckley. “I realize the less material possessions the less clutter I have in my life and the less stress. American culture and the way our society is, is not minimalist ... In terms of how the rest of society operates, it’s my own little way of rebelling.”

Meckley meets her everyday needs through simple strategies. She uses the showers and sauna at her local rock climbing gym for personal hygiene, while eating at local restaurants for cheap meals and Wi-Fi.

Even though this is how Meckley lives her everyday life, you don’t have to live this way entirely in order to achieve a minimalist lifestyle. Instead, you can just focus on these three basic principles.

1.) Take into consideration the possessions you own. Keep things that have a purpose in your life and get rid of the rest. For example, Meckley not only owns basic materials such as a Coleman two-burner stove, two charging ports and camping materials, but Meckley also owns a sound system, books and a necklace her great grandmother used to own. 2.) Buy things you need. Granted everyone’s needs vary. However, minimalist’s utilize the objects they already posses. Meckley in her blog post “Home Is Where You Park It” talks about how she obtains her basic needs in a cheap and efficient manner. She minimizes cost by seeking out alternatives whether this be by using the Bay Area’s subway system or by having a free meal at a soup kitchen. 3.) Spend your time wisely. Do the activities that are meaningful to you. Make the steps to achieve a certain passion project or goal. When Meckley is not working she goes rock climbing and hiking because that helps her to push herself out into the world. In short, minimalism refocuses our attention on what truly matters in our lives. Although what matters is subjective to a person, one thing remains clear: time is limited. We can only be fully present in the certain aspects of our lives that we choose. Meckley has chosen herself and nature. “I don’t get any pleasure out of getting more things. It doesn’t add to my life as camping and being outdoors does,” said Meckley. If you would like to find out more about Faith Meckley her blog is vanmeetsworld.wordpress.com