Everything I Own as a Minimalist

1. Travel yoga mat

It is much thinner than my regular yoga mat but gets the job done, and is light and thin enough to fold and pack into my suitcase. I bring it with me wherever I go, so I can keep up with my yoga or my workout routine anywhere and anytime I want, without having to rely on specific equipment or a gym.

2. AeroPress and matcha kit

There is nothing I love more than starting my day with a cup of hot coffee or tea. The AeroPress was a departing gift from a friend and I have been using it every day since. It is very compact, which makes it perfect for traveling, and it brews me great coffee very quickly.

My matcha bowl is also essential because, to me, there is nothing more comforting than a cup of matcha.

2. Haircutting shears

I am the official hairdresser for myself, my husband, and our two dogs, so my haircutting shears were essential. I do not even remember where I bought it or how much it was, but it probably saved me hundreds of dollars worth of expensive salon haircuts.

3. Accordion folder

For months, I have been organizing my paper clutter, and I have reduced it to just one accordion folder. These are either original documents or physical copies that we just needed to bring with us, and the rest is stored away on my hard drive.

4. Silk pillowcase

Anything that helps me to get a good night's sleep is worth it to me. So this one has been one of the best investments.

5. A couple of decorations

I needed something to feel at home in a new place, so I brought my favorite placemat from a thrift store at my previous job, my incense holder, a Japanese wind chime, and a handmade succulent holder that my friend made for me.

At first, I was really hesitant on bringing my Creator Award because it is really big and bulky, but I decided that this was going to be my reminder to myself to keep doing what I love. Sometimes having those visual reminders can be motivating.

6. A few books

I love to read, but having moved around so much all my life, I learned that shipping heavy boxes of books halfway across the world is just not worth it.

Therefore, I decided to only keep the books to which I have a special attachment: “The Prophet”, two books of poetry by Rupi Kaur, and “Walden”, which I am rereading right now because I feel like I am living his experience.

7. A journal

Writing has always been my preferred way of processing my thoughts. I have been more attached to it than ever because I am going through such a big transition in my life right now.

I just love the simplicity of having a pen and paper to jot down whatever I am feeling at the moment.

8. Wardrobe

What really take up the most space in my suitcase are clothes and shoes. For my shoes, I kept my everyday strappy sandals, one closed-toe slip-ons, Chelsea boots for cold rainy days, my running shoes, and my slippers.

For bags and purses, I have my routine crossbody for everyday use, one shoulder bag for going out, my fanny pack for walking the dogs, and my brown suede bag.

In terms of clothing, I have four pairs of jeans and two overalls, a good mix of tanks, T-shirts, and long sleeves, four sweaters in different colors and thicknesses, three jackets, two skirts, four linen pants and shorts, and a handful of sundresses.

I also own some swimsuits and workout clothes, of course. I could probably reduce even more, but I feel like this is a good amount for now. I can mix and match and create different outfits for my every day and for when I travel as well.

9. Toiletries

For my skincare and makeup, everything I own fits in two bags. One is my everyday makeup. The other bag has my shower necessities and my skincare essentials, which at the moment are sunscreen, vitamin C, retinol, cleanser, and my favorite exfoliator.

10. Technology

I have a whole suitcase dedicated to my camera and tech gear, which I need for my work. I have a laptop, of course, two hard drives for all of my photos and videos, a little compact mouse, Bose headphones that I cannot live without, and a mic to record all of my voiceovers.

Naturally, I also have a lot of cords and chargers that go along with everything I just mentioned. I try to minimize my gadgets and think about what I actually use so I can bring my work with me everywhere I go.

Everything I own as a minimalist

This is a list of everything I own. It does not really matter how many belongings we have, but I believe it is important to have a perspective on how much or how little we truly need. I hope that this list encourages you to look around your home and think about what is truly important to you.

What items would you never leave behind if you moved? What do you still keep even though you don’t find it necessary? Let me know in the comments!