I am not sure if quoting a line from the movie "Joe Dirt" is appropriate for the beginning of a serious article that is meant to cause reflection and inspiration. But the damage is done, so I will explain and continue.
In the crude, repulsive and extremely funny movie "Joe Dirt", the main character spends most of the movie searching for his parents and his "home." In an odd scene with an almost unintelligible Cajun he seems to finally get the message that "home is where you make it."
My wife and I have been homeless for over 2 years. No home, no apartment and definitely nothing permanent. And, it has been the greatest 2 years of our lives.
Now that I have your attention, let me explain.
We sold and gave almost everything we own away 3 years ago and have been traveling as nomads for over 2 years.
I thought it would be easy. I have always enjoyed getting rid of things. I love order and truly enjoy creating order out of chaos. But when you have lived in a 6000 square foot house for more than 10 years and during that time you have raised children from the preteen to college years, you have more and more things that creep into the home and start filling up every crack and crevice.
I never realized how challenging it would be to purge not just the "things" but the accumulation mindset that most people in our modern culture (including myself) possess. The desire is to only focus on those things that are truly significant - spiritual growth, relationships, experiences and essential items that will enhance my spiritual growth, relationships and experiences.
Some may think that I sound like some monk that wants to sit on a mountaintop and "find the true meaning of life." Maybe that is what I am doing. I will say that life is so much better than it used to be. And I have always thought life was pretty awesome.
Many people use the term minimalism to describe how we are living. Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist writes some fantastic articles on the topic and I love reading everything that he posts. Our daughter claims that we are more essentialist than minimalist. That is probably splitting hairs but we do seem to seek out only things that are essential in our lives. Some minimalists may just want less for the sake of having less stuff. We only acquire things that will bless our lives. Not things that create a burden.
We do get some odd looks and some questions. But, I have really enjoyed living differently than the masses. It is very difficult to capture in words how great life is when you have no material items that have any control over you.
I thought it would be beneficial for me to do my best to share my observations about this unique life we are living. Before I do that I thought that I would address the most common questions we get from both friends and strangers:
What is like not having a home?
It is different but I love it. No grass to cut. No maintenance issues to deal with. And best of all...no electricity payment, no gas payment, no water bill, no internet or cable bill. Even better than best of all, no mortgage payment!
Sleeping in different beds and using different pillows can be difficult to get used to, but it is also nice to be able to "try out" different kitchens, homes, beds, and furniture so that you really know what you like and dislike. It is a huge benefit to feel free to travel anywhere you heart desires without being anxious about recurring maintenance and household bills piling up back at "home."
When/where do you expect to settle down?
I am not one to use the words always or never very often. Once you have felt the freedom of not being attached to a place or location or geography or a structure, it is difficult to imagine going back to that life again. I do think that some people can allow themselves to feel locked-in to geographic locations and areas because of jobs, schools, family, relatives, friends, a house, mindset or many other reasons. With modern technology being what it is, many people can work, educate themselves and their children, and communicate almost anywhere via the internet and other tools.
I believe that instead of using words like "home", and "settled down" and locking ourselves into a place, we should seek our assignments and callings in life that lead us to a greater purpose. If that means staying in one place for a season or period of time, great. If it means staying mobile so that you can move and go in a moments notice, perfect. The key is to be able to listen and hear your inner voice or the voice of a higher authority that gives instructions and not let things and an image of what "home" is keep you from your true purpose. And, that purpose may require one to venture beyond a 25 mile radius of their current location.
Many people may be missing bigger blessings because they have "settled down" and said that they will always remain geographically planted. I am strong believer in a large tapestry that is being woven by a loving Heavenly Father and I think that if I say I am always going to live in Georgia or I am never going to leave Colorado then He may not be able to send me where He needs me to go. I desire to be available and obedient.
Do you travel in a camper or RV?
Everyone seems to ask this question. As if we took all the items that we had in our home, crammed them in an RV and then started traveling. I have nothing against RV's or campers or houses on wheels, but they require as much if not more energy than a house.
The answer to the question is no...we do not travel in a camper or RV. When traveling in North America we drive our trusty 2002 Honda Van with over 330K miles. When we travel overseas, we fly. I do not want to own another home anytime soon and I definitely do not want to own a home on wheels.
NOTE: I have had the experience of owning many homes. We negotiated and completed over 500 real estate transactions between 2001 and 2009. There were times that our company owned over 100 single family homes. Plus we coached, trained and mentored over 3,000 real estate investors nationwide during that time. So I do understand real estate and how to buy and what the value can be. I also may know enough...possibly too much...about real estate that I do not put a personal home high on the investment pedestal. It's just concrete and lumber built on dirt.
So you really do not own anything?
Very little. We own a storage unit near some relatives that is the size of a single car garage. It is about half full (or half empty depending on where your beliefs are on that issue) but we leave things there that we may not want to carry with us as we travel. If I had a few spare days I could probably eliminate half of the items in storage primarily because I have not needed any of it the last 2 years.
My entire wardrobe could fit in a small rubbermaid box. My wife has a slightly larger wardrobe (not by much) but everything she owns fits well, coordinates and looks great on her so she enjoys getting dressed. That's good for both of us and I am sure most husbands would agree with me.
We did put some furniture in a relatives home. I guess we could technically get that back at some point, but I doubt it will ever be moved.
Last year we spent 7 months in Australia and New Zealand and when we traveled home (in an airplane, not the Honda Van) we had one rolling duffel bag as luggage and we each carried our backpack briefcases with our computers and electronics. We are currently on a 7 week visit to South Florida and we could have almost fit everything we are traveling with in 2 carry on bags.
Is your wife OK with this lifestyle?
Yes. There have been times when one of us may have been farther along in the process than the other one. But for the most part we have been in agreement and have been having a blast.
There have been some challenges. For instance, Glori is a great cook that writes cookbooks and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. At one point years ago she had almost every cooking gadget a cook could have. She even insisted that we carry 3 big boxes of her "favorite" gadgets and kitchen tools with us 2 years ago when we embarked on our journey. But she has gradually realized that she can make great meals in almost any kitchen. And if something is missing, a store is just around the corner that is stocked floor to ceiling with more items than one can ever imagine.
Plus, as an extra bonus we seem to be embracing a "less is best" mindset when it comes to eating. Smaller portions, better quality, and less gluttony leads to a healthier life.
Is it fun being on vacation all the time?
I would not know because we are not on vacation. We are living our lives as we travel and stay in really cool places - New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Breckenridge CO, Austin TX, Ft Lauderdale FL, Lake Tahoe NV, Los Angeles CA and many other places. We are running our businesses, coaching and consulting, writing and creating all along the way.
Vacation is what people do when they have to cram all their fun into 1 to 2 weeks of the year. And vacations can be very expensive (see the next question). We just live our lives wherever we happen to be at the time and of course we do attempt to enjoy all that the locations we stay in have to offer.
Are you rich? Is that how you can travel all the time?
The answer to that question is no. I am not against being blessed financially. I have owned businesses in the past that have provided very bountiful financial resources to our family. But we have also learned how to live with much less after seeing how quickly large real estate based businesses could disintegrate a few years ago.
There are times during the last few years when we have had very limited financial resources...less than $100 in our bank account. However, it seems that was part of our journey to get to the point where money became less significant. It seems that when we stopped attempting to chase money, it began to chase us.
We now have thriving businesses but still have no reason to acquire and accumulate more stuff. That feels really good. We are still not rich, but definitely richly blessed. I could also spend an entire article explaining how we live in nice homes while we travel without paying a single dime for rent or utilities. But that will have to wait for a later time.
To be continued....
In Home Is Where You Make It - Part 2, I will share my observations about how the essential lifestyle that we are living is different from the accumulation lifestyle that most people live in today's society.
In the crude, repulsive and extremely funny movie "Joe Dirt", the main character spends most of the movie searching for his parents and his "home." In an odd scene with an almost unintelligible Cajun he seems to finally get the message that "home is where you make it."
My wife and I have been homeless for over 2 years. No home, no apartment and definitely nothing permanent. And, it has been the greatest 2 years of our lives.
Now that I have your attention, let me explain.
We sold and gave almost everything we own away 3 years ago and have been traveling as nomads for over 2 years.
I thought it would be easy. I have always enjoyed getting rid of things. I love order and truly enjoy creating order out of chaos. But when you have lived in a 6000 square foot house for more than 10 years and during that time you have raised children from the preteen to college years, you have more and more things that creep into the home and start filling up every crack and crevice.
I never realized how challenging it would be to purge not just the "things" but the accumulation mindset that most people in our modern culture (including myself) possess. The desire is to only focus on those things that are truly significant - spiritual growth, relationships, experiences and essential items that will enhance my spiritual growth, relationships and experiences.
Some may think that I sound like some monk that wants to sit on a mountaintop and "find the true meaning of life." Maybe that is what I am doing. I will say that life is so much better than it used to be. And I have always thought life was pretty awesome.
Many people use the term minimalism to describe how we are living. Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist writes some fantastic articles on the topic and I love reading everything that he posts. Our daughter claims that we are more essentialist than minimalist. That is probably splitting hairs but we do seem to seek out only things that are essential in our lives. Some minimalists may just want less for the sake of having less stuff. We only acquire things that will bless our lives. Not things that create a burden.
We do get some odd looks and some questions. But, I have really enjoyed living differently than the masses. It is very difficult to capture in words how great life is when you have no material items that have any control over you.
I thought it would be beneficial for me to do my best to share my observations about this unique life we are living. Before I do that I thought that I would address the most common questions we get from both friends and strangers:
What is like not having a home?
It is different but I love it. No grass to cut. No maintenance issues to deal with. And best of all...no electricity payment, no gas payment, no water bill, no internet or cable bill. Even better than best of all, no mortgage payment!
Sleeping in different beds and using different pillows can be difficult to get used to, but it is also nice to be able to "try out" different kitchens, homes, beds, and furniture so that you really know what you like and dislike. It is a huge benefit to feel free to travel anywhere you heart desires without being anxious about recurring maintenance and household bills piling up back at "home."
When/where do you expect to settle down?
I am not one to use the words always or never very often. Once you have felt the freedom of not being attached to a place or location or geography or a structure, it is difficult to imagine going back to that life again. I do think that some people can allow themselves to feel locked-in to geographic locations and areas because of jobs, schools, family, relatives, friends, a house, mindset or many other reasons. With modern technology being what it is, many people can work, educate themselves and their children, and communicate almost anywhere via the internet and other tools.
I believe that instead of using words like "home", and "settled down" and locking ourselves into a place, we should seek our assignments and callings in life that lead us to a greater purpose. If that means staying in one place for a season or period of time, great. If it means staying mobile so that you can move and go in a moments notice, perfect. The key is to be able to listen and hear your inner voice or the voice of a higher authority that gives instructions and not let things and an image of what "home" is keep you from your true purpose. And, that purpose may require one to venture beyond a 25 mile radius of their current location.
Many people may be missing bigger blessings because they have "settled down" and said that they will always remain geographically planted. I am strong believer in a large tapestry that is being woven by a loving Heavenly Father and I think that if I say I am always going to live in Georgia or I am never going to leave Colorado then He may not be able to send me where He needs me to go. I desire to be available and obedient.
Do you travel in a camper or RV?
Everyone seems to ask this question. As if we took all the items that we had in our home, crammed them in an RV and then started traveling. I have nothing against RV's or campers or houses on wheels, but they require as much if not more energy than a house.
The answer to the question is no...we do not travel in a camper or RV. When traveling in North America we drive our trusty 2002 Honda Van with over 330K miles. When we travel overseas, we fly. I do not want to own another home anytime soon and I definitely do not want to own a home on wheels.
NOTE: I have had the experience of owning many homes. We negotiated and completed over 500 real estate transactions between 2001 and 2009. There were times that our company owned over 100 single family homes. Plus we coached, trained and mentored over 3,000 real estate investors nationwide during that time. So I do understand real estate and how to buy and what the value can be. I also may know enough...possibly too much...about real estate that I do not put a personal home high on the investment pedestal. It's just concrete and lumber built on dirt.
So you really do not own anything?
Very little. We own a storage unit near some relatives that is the size of a single car garage. It is about half full (or half empty depending on where your beliefs are on that issue) but we leave things there that we may not want to carry with us as we travel. If I had a few spare days I could probably eliminate half of the items in storage primarily because I have not needed any of it the last 2 years.
My entire wardrobe could fit in a small rubbermaid box. My wife has a slightly larger wardrobe (not by much) but everything she owns fits well, coordinates and looks great on her so she enjoys getting dressed. That's good for both of us and I am sure most husbands would agree with me.
We did put some furniture in a relatives home. I guess we could technically get that back at some point, but I doubt it will ever be moved.
Last year we spent 7 months in Australia and New Zealand and when we traveled home (in an airplane, not the Honda Van) we had one rolling duffel bag as luggage and we each carried our backpack briefcases with our computers and electronics. We are currently on a 7 week visit to South Florida and we could have almost fit everything we are traveling with in 2 carry on bags.
Is your wife OK with this lifestyle?
Yes. There have been times when one of us may have been farther along in the process than the other one. But for the most part we have been in agreement and have been having a blast.
There have been some challenges. For instance, Glori is a great cook that writes cookbooks and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. At one point years ago she had almost every cooking gadget a cook could have. She even insisted that we carry 3 big boxes of her "favorite" gadgets and kitchen tools with us 2 years ago when we embarked on our journey. But she has gradually realized that she can make great meals in almost any kitchen. And if something is missing, a store is just around the corner that is stocked floor to ceiling with more items than one can ever imagine.
Plus, as an extra bonus we seem to be embracing a "less is best" mindset when it comes to eating. Smaller portions, better quality, and less gluttony leads to a healthier life.
Is it fun being on vacation all the time?
I would not know because we are not on vacation. We are living our lives as we travel and stay in really cool places - New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Breckenridge CO, Austin TX, Ft Lauderdale FL, Lake Tahoe NV, Los Angeles CA and many other places. We are running our businesses, coaching and consulting, writing and creating all along the way.
Vacation is what people do when they have to cram all their fun into 1 to 2 weeks of the year. And vacations can be very expensive (see the next question). We just live our lives wherever we happen to be at the time and of course we do attempt to enjoy all that the locations we stay in have to offer.
Are you rich? Is that how you can travel all the time?
The answer to that question is no. I am not against being blessed financially. I have owned businesses in the past that have provided very bountiful financial resources to our family. But we have also learned how to live with much less after seeing how quickly large real estate based businesses could disintegrate a few years ago.
There are times during the last few years when we have had very limited financial resources...less than $100 in our bank account. However, it seems that was part of our journey to get to the point where money became less significant. It seems that when we stopped attempting to chase money, it began to chase us.
We now have thriving businesses but still have no reason to acquire and accumulate more stuff. That feels really good. We are still not rich, but definitely richly blessed. I could also spend an entire article explaining how we live in nice homes while we travel without paying a single dime for rent or utilities. But that will have to wait for a later time.
To be continued....
In Home Is Where You Make It - Part 2, I will share my observations about how the essential lifestyle that we are living is different from the accumulation lifestyle that most people live in today's society.
Tim Winders has over 25 years experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, coach and consultant. He specializes in helping businesses, organizations and individuals grow and expand. If it is time for you or your business to get unstuck and experience increase, CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE Growth Assessment and Strategy Call with Tim.
