Comment I wrote to Bob Wells

This is a comment I wrote to Bob Wells post: http://cheaprvlivingblog.com/2013/03/choices-to-the-rat-race/

Thanks Bob, yes it’s all about courage, I am getting there =). Minimalism perhaps is too extreme even for me. I don’t want to live like a monk with no possession. I think that a van or a boat will have the size that is just about the right size (all you really need, except all those tools you might need (very seldom), but you can’t have it all as you have been pointing out (in your very good blog)). I want to “DeOwn”, simplify my life. Simplicity is Genius.

It is a good suggestion Bodhi (Geocashing), yes I already have some GPS:s so no more stuff at least =). However I am not seeking any new hobbies right now :). I am still in the "Rat Race" or as we in Sweden call it "the hamster wheel" and my "free time" is very limited. I still will have some interest that I think will be enough, when I one day leave the apartment and aim for mobile living (whether it be a van or a boat). I am already trying to adapt so my "hobbies" don’t need that much stuff (for the future). Those “new” interest are for example, reading and writing. Reading good books is something I really enjoy. Taking pictures and so on. Perhaps produce some podcast. I also like to train my body, and this interest will perhaps be a little of a problem when hitting the road, cause it involves a lot of washing (cause the clothes gets a lot of sweat and so on). Here in Sweden there are not that many laundries (washing places) out in the public. I think you guys in America have a lot more (anyway, that’s the picture I have)?

Little of my background in hobbies

I have so far terminated my windsurfing hobby (It was a hard decision). Plenty of stuff, cause I could sail in any weather, lots of boards and sail and so on. To busy working (rat race) and so on, didn’t find the time really (and again the input/output ratio was to low).

I still have my "electronic hobby", and man that involves a lots of "good to have" stuff, and instruments and so on. However I don’t find (priorities) the time now to construct any new little gadget.  And I think the input/output ratio is too low. (Too much time in input and too little to show for it).

I also have a former interest, collecting nice older racing bikes from the 80-ties. = A lot of nice bicycles (to many ...) I have put a lot of time into this collecting thing.. And I have all sorts of tools to be able to fix whatever problems occur. Today I see it as waste of time :).  Yes, many mistakes have been done.

I also have a lot of other not so much stuff oriented interests. I am for example a radio amateur (Ham). But I will try to sell this stuff now.

I know it will be good for me to downsize (by choice), so I can focus on the things that is most important to me.  I have “been all over the place” with all interest and perhaps you know the speaking “he who chases two rabbits catches neither”, well that pretty much sums it up for me.

Today I am feeling chained by all the stuff, not feeling free to move on. I have a huge pile of stuff/crap to get rid of and that is my biggest obstacle right now. There is a lot of money ‘invested’ in all this “crap”. =)

I still have my “doubts” about taking the leap so I am taking it slow, so I don´t regret anything. This is because in the past, when I have terminated a interest/hobby and a few years later have been regretting it  and I  had to start all over (more waste of time). Today I am taking it slow and for example have promised myself that I can’t under any circumstances start to windsurf again (in that case I have to rent gears).

Wow, that was a long post.. (My thoughts at the moment).