When people live in the same home for years, they tend to gradually collect things that fill the spaces. For a while I thought I wanted to be like everyone else and stay still, but I’m nomadic. That’s the way I like it. Being a minimalist is a definite advantage to having the freedom to move when I wish to. Moving frequently helps me to reassess my stuff and my life often and keep my possessions to a minimum.
If you have ever owned a house, you know that the work, expense and worry is never done. I have owned several homes, but have decided to return to renting for the freedom it allows me. If the plumbing, or roof, or anything else is faulty, I simply let the property managers deal with it. If I want to move at any time, I can. If I want to travel for a year, I can just release it, pack my bag and go.
I planned to stay here for at least a few years – which is a very long stay for me. That’s why I bought some furniture. This is my first time buying an entire set of matching living room furniture. It’s okay. I have enjoyed using it, but I prefer to have more space rather than having the furniture.
My journeys have included travels in Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Mexico several times, for months or a year each time. Those experiences introduced me to the incredibly diverse piece of magical furniture known as the humble hammock.
When a hammock is properly made, with maybe five times more individual strings than you’d assume, it’s unimaginably comfortable. It must be what floating on a magic carpet would feel like.
At times I’ve lived with hammocks as the only seating in my home (other than the floor). Hammocks are so wonderfully diverse. They can be used as a bed, a chair, a lounge, a playpen or a swing. Then when you’re done with them, they can be either moved aside like a curtain against the wall, or tied into a tidy ball and carried in a bag. It’s simply ingenious!
I don’t use a hammock in my daily life now, but I look forward to returning to the beauty of having less furniture soon. Some hammocks, a few throw cushions and maybe a low table to eat from; that’s wonderful simplicity in comfortable, practical and beautiful furniture.