Another year, another place. I spent the majority of...

• 2007 in Austin, TX
• 2008 in San Francisco, CA
• 2009 in Kunohe, Japan

And unless something extreme happens, I'll be spending the majority of 2010 in Hitachi, Japan.

That's 4 different places in 4 years. Or 3 major moves in 3 years. These transient years were made possible by a couple of realizations. One, I don't really need a lot of stuff. Two, I like getting rid of the stuff I have.

Want versus Need - I'm a wanna-be minimalist. I say "wanna-be" because I'd be lying if I said there weren't many things that I want. It's just that they come at a cost: less flexibility and mobility. Right now, the ability to move around is important to me and I've found there to be surprisingly little needed to do that.

Getting rid of Stuff - I have no more than 10 things (computer, clothes, books) today that I also had in Austin. Everything else was either sold or given away. It was difficult to part ways with lots of items but I rarely think back to them once they're gone. The phrase "out of sight, out of mind" applies remarkably well. 

Reduction can be liberating. Back in Austin, I had a car and owned an 1100 sq. foot condo filled with stuff. Today, I ride a used bike and rent a 250 sq. foot apartment that still feels spacious. It's tempting to replicate my old lifestyle but by getting and keeping the bare minimum, I'm able to uproot and relocate as I please. 

Everything I brought with me to Japan