My Minimalist Summer 2017: Sacramento (Video)
After visiting Seattle, I headed down to Sacramento to see two of my favorite people, the EcoConscious Minimalists! It was my first time visiting Cali and I did about a day of touristy stuff then headed to Sean and Pastaveia's home to chill for a couple of days before heading to Mexico.
I was so excited to be able to visit them. I met Pastaveia and Sean virtually when I started following their minimalist journey on YouTube in 2015 and they were featured on this site as part of my Black Minimalists interview series. After that, Pastaveia traveled to the DC area a couple of times for work and we hung out in person.
Let me just say I love these two people. They are just cool, intelligent, down to earth, and incredibly generous people. To add to their awesomeness, they just welcomed a tiny human to their family.
Anyways, this video is short and highlights a few sites from Sactown. My main focus was resting and hanging out with Pasteveia and Sean. West Sacramento did have some good food though. I ate at Sal's Tacos and Bean & Barrel and they were both delicious.
Next up: Mexico City & Puebla!
Thoughts From A Poor Minimalist
Does Minimalism Glamorize Poverty?
We tackled this question over on Black Minimalists and posed it on our instagram:
This is a topic and question that has been posed over the years as the minimalism trend grows. It sparked a lot of debate in our community so I thought I'd share my response to the question with you.
From BlackMinimalists.net:
"In popular debates about whether the trend of minimalism is the glamorization of poverty, the word “choice” is often the defining word separating the minimalist haves from the impoverished have nots. Even my three team members above have referred to the word "choice" in their opinions.
Personally, I find it a bit perplexing to say poor people lack choice and thus agency. Can you choose to be a minimalist and lack certain resources, i.e. be poor? From what I’ve read on the subject, it would seem not, but here I am, living proof.
I grew up poor and by current U.S. societal standards, I’m still poor. I’ve lived in some type of low-income housing, including a trailer park, for most of my life and have received government assistance in various forms. I also have a college degree which ironically has both elevated and further impoverished me at the same damn time.
I flirted with a middle class lifestyle while working my last full-time job five years ago. I chose to return to poverty and pursue a minimalist lifestyle after becoming disillusioned with the emotional, spiritual, and mental labor required to ascend to and maintain an average middle class life. Part of that labor also stemmed from an inability to reconcile a poverty mindset with a newly (physically) abundant one.
Additionally, I know many people in the larger minimalist movement and within the black minimalist community who have chose minimalism as a way to skirt poverty or at least maintain what they have while living the most healthy, sustainable lifestyle they can manage.
Choosing poverty is not glamorous at all, especially when you truly understand what it means to be poor. Would I rather not be poor? Absolutely, and I hope not to stay poor for much longer. What being poor (and minimalist) has taught me is to understand my values, who I am, and what I need and want at this point in my life.
What gives me solace and empowers me in the midst of my poverty, is what I’ve found this time that has alluded me previously, freedom. The freedom to use my limited resources in ways that service my mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. The freedom to not let any label, be it poor or minimalist, define who I am, and to know I’m not defined by the stuff that I own. The freedom of knowing I’m living better, lessening my footprint in this world, and impacting my communities to do the same. This freedom comes from minimalism.
Are there minimalists from privileged backgrounds who romanticize and commodify simple living? Of course, but why do people even care if someone wants to live a life they perceive as poor? At the end of the day, even performative poverty still consumes less resources and lowers negative environmental impacts, which still benefits everyone.
When I hear people rejecting minimalism because of the perceived festishization of poverty, their arguments reek of smugness, but also some unacknowledged truths. I think the undercurrent of their disdain for minimalists comes from a belief in the American Dream where your value equals the amount of stuff you own and they don’t want to give up their stuff or they haven’t yet obtained all the stuff they think their entitled to per the dream. It’s a real fear to be considered “poor” let alone actually be poor, and they know their consumptive lifestyle is doing more harm to actual poor people than minimalism."
Read the other Black Minimalists team members' responses here.
What do you think?
Depression | #LAWM
Moving Abroad While Minimalist is a series. I'm starting this series off on a heavy note because it's my reality. I'll have more posts on packing, budgeting, etc., but first, I need to get this off my chest.
After one month of living in Mexico, I found myself slipping into depression. The excitement of making a major life transition can sometimes overshadow the challenges. In the first few weeks, everything is new, but as you start to develop a routine and build your new life, the newness wears off and you start to contemplate if you've made a mistake somewhere along the way. I'm pretty much venting my thoughts below, but I tried to organize them.
Making a House a Home
Hunting for a place to live, finding it after a month, and then making that place a home was overwhelming for me. Not being prepared to spend a lot of money on things to furnish your home and still have your home feel empty. Grappling with whether you are spending too much money, what is a need (when you need everything) and what is a want, how soon do you need everything, and will my budget survive this move. Regretting decisions.
New Relationships
Feeling like I was dependent on others and not having control over my time. Being an introvert amongst extroverted people. Finding your place in already established relationships and feeling like the monkey in the middle. Understanding what the truth is in these already established relationships and then trying to formulate your own independent thoughts and still maintain the relationships.
Holidays
Already having a tenuous relationship with "the holidays" and then experiencing them in a new country and away from family and friends.
Working
Starting work on my first full day in Mexico, when I said I wasn't going to work for the first few months and learning how to teach in general and English specifically. Also, completing an online TESOL course in the process. Not balancing my interests (Black Minimalists, this blog, self-care) well.
Things You Can't Control
The weather in Orizaba leaves a lot to be desired. I mean we've had multiple cold spells and apparently, it hasn't been this cold in years. Can you imagine the temperature dropping from the 80s to the 50s within 24 hours, let alone the fact these houses are made of cement (no insulation) and central heating is non-existent? So, mixed in with my depression is some SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) to boot.
I'm going to be okay though.
After writing all of this out, I totally understand why I'm depressed. Also, experiencing depression when moving abroad is not unusual. I actually read a blog with people talking about how long it took them to adjust to their new countries and the challenges they faced. It helped me understand what I am experiencing is normal.
I've now been here for three months. I'm still going through it, but just admitting what I'm feeling to myself and others has lifted a huge weight. I'm understanding that depression feels differently depending on the day and I'm giving myself permission to feel what I feel and space to work through it in my own way. Journaling, meditating, prioritizing my interests, and just being alone has helped a lot.
Even through my depression, I'm still happy to be here and there are days when I wake up and can't believe how blessed I am to experience this. I do plan on sharing my suggestions on how to survive your first time living abroad, soon, once I make it through to the other side.
My 2018 Intentions
I wasn't going to share my 2018 goals and intentions, but ironically, one of my overall intentions for this year is to share more of my life in the digital spaces I frequent, so here we go.
With one week down in 2018, I'd say it's off to a great start, mainly because I started working on many of my goals and intentions in December. I've found the secret to starting off my new year right is to already have my plans in motion. That way, when the new year hits, I'm not scrambling to figure out what I'm doing with my life and how I'm going to make my intentions a reality. I think it also puts the right energy out into the universe that I'm serious about achieving my goals. So below, I'm sharing a few personal and business intentions I'm working on this year.
Personal Intentions for 2018
Flexitarian Diet
It's really a pescatarian diet that includes eggs. I've been pescatarian twice before, but this is actually my longest run. This last time, I started in June 2017 and I'm still going strong. I thought it would be difficult to maintain living in Mexico because they love meat here, but with the abundance of produce stands and markets, it's actually easier. I also eat less seafood than I have previously, but eggs are still a staple. I will share more about the reasons behind my most recent change as well as what I'm eating here in Mexico in future blog posts.
Healthy Financial Habits
I shared my financial struggles a while back on my Youtube channel. I started making changes at the end of 2016 when I realized I wanted to move abroad and really got serious in 2017. I managed to stick to my budget, pay off extraneous debts that had been lingering for a few years, carry a zero or low balance on my credit card most months, raise my credit score, and stay current on student loans. In addition to all that and even with some setbacks, I managed to save $6,000.
While my financial situation has changed while living abroad, my goal is to continue these habits in 2018. It's not about how much money you have, it's about how you use it. I'll be talking more about how I'm able to live abroad financially.
Visit a New Country
This is a stretch goal for me due to my new financial situation I mentioned above, but still, it's been almost two years since I've been to a new country. Living abroad in Mexico is a unique experience, but there's still a whole world out there to see. I'd love to go to Jamaica and even if I only cross the border into neighboring Belize or Guatemala, I'm going somewhere new.
Mastering Spanish
Becoming fluent in Spanish has been a goal of mine forever and it's one of the reasons I chose to live abroad in Mexico. You may not know, but I majored in Anthropology and Latin American Studies. I've had an interest in Latin American culture since middle school when I first discovered there were black folks living in Cuba. I studied Spanish for 8 years between high school and college and studied abroad in Cuba, still fluency has eluded me.
If you're not disciplined to study every day and you're not immersed in the culture, it's difficult to master a language. Fortunately, living in Mexico, I encounter Spanish every single day mostly through speaking and reading. I'm also studying grammar and vocabulary. My phones are also in Spanish. I can tell my Spanish has improved significantly just in the three months I've been here and all those Spanish classes are finally paying off.
Spirituality
This year I'm digging deeper into my personal magic. I believe we all have spiritual abilities, we just have to access them. For me, I've been learning about energy and crystals. I purchased my first crystals last year. I picked my meditation practice backup, using this app. I'm also learning about the energy and capabilities of plants. I've always been attracted to nature and believed that all living beings are connected and exchange energy. Mexico is also a magical place. Pueblos Magicos isn't just a marketing campaign. I knew from my first visit here in 2013, it was a special place and conducive to spiritual work. Spirituality is about balance, healing, growth, and discovery.
Business Intentions for 2018
Sharing More
This is a personal and business intention, so I'll talk about it first. I'm an introvert. It took me until I was 30 to understand it, but it's true. My intention has always been to share my life through this blog, but I've struggled with how to share my brand and my self. I decided to do less branding and marketing and more sharing. Stop worrying about having "on-brand" copy, graphics, and services and just put myself out there as is. I stripped this site down to my current diary, the archive, and my coaching. My goal is to share something somewhere (on at least one of my platforms) everyday. This could be in the form of posts, commenting, stories, video, reposts, it doesn't matter as long as I'm active.
Coaching
I haven't done a lot of coaching over the past year while working on the launch of Black Minimalists and I'm ready to get back at it helping you simplify you life and focus on your goals. I really enjoy seeing people make progress in their lives and accomplish things they didn't think were possible and playing any small or large part in that is a bonus. Looking for guidance on your minimalist journey, click here.
Minimalist Memoir
I don't remember if I mentioned this last year, but it's happening this year. I wrote all my minimalists stories in a special journal throughout 2017, now all I need to do is edit, format, and design it. I want to release it on my 35th birthday!
Jewelry Making
This was a struggle for me last year. I had a whole collection planned, I made several sample pieces, but it just wasn't meant to be. With the work I did last year and my new interest in crystals, I think I've found my inspiration for 2018.
Black Minimalists
We launched BM in May 2017 and the first 8 months have been great. We've grown significantly as a team and community and more folks are finding us everyday. I'm so grateful and happy this community exists. Stay tuned for big things with our one year anniversary coming up!
So there you have it. It seems the previous years have been all about laying the ground work and 2018 is all about manifesting the fruits of my work. I'm ready!
What are your goals and intentions for 2018?
My Minimalist Summer 2017: Seattle (Video)
This summer I did some traveling on the West Coast. It was my first time out there and I loved it! I finally got to visit my friend Sylva, meet one of my coaching clients in person, and hang out with some black minimalists!
I visited the Seattle Art Museum, Pike Place, and Alki Beach in West Seattle. I also got to see Jimi Hendrix Park and the Northwest African American Museum. I ate some great food, enjoyed riding the metro, and the long Seattle days (it didn't get dark until 10pm!).
I definitely want to return to Emerald City and do more exploring in the future. Check out the slideshow of my time there below.
Stay tuned for more videos from my Sacramento and Mexico visits. Also, I will be sharing what I learned from my travels this summer.
How did you spend your summer?
New Year, (Sorta) New Blog, Still Minimalist
I've been gone for a minute, now I'm back, it's 2018!
It's hard to believe I haven't posted on here in over a year, but after I returned from the Philippines in July 2016, I made a major decision to leave the States. From that point up until this fall, I had been preparing to move abroad. This meant getting very clear on my priorities including paying off debt, saving a lot, minimizing my possessions, and spending as much time as possible with family and friends. Also, after going back and forth about the future of Black Minimalists and my place in that future, I resolved to launch BM in 2017.
Fast forward to now and I'm currently living in Orizaba, Mexico and Black Minimalists is eight months old! Following through on these two major goals has been very rewarding and empowering, but I have been missing this space.
If you've been subscribed to me since the very beginning in 2014, then you know this blog has been through a few transitions and with each rebrand, I feel I've gotten closer to creating a digital space that truly reflects who I am and what I want to share with the world. At this point in my life, I really just want to share myself and my lifestyle in a simple, but direct way so I'm going old school and using this space as a digital diary.
I will be documenting the current phase of my minimalist life while living abroad and reflecting on how my life has evolved over the past five years since starting this journey. Of course, I'll still be offering tips, resources, and coaching to help you find your own freedom and simplicity in the process.
In the coming days and weeks, I'll be talking more about why I decided to leave the States and what it's like to move and live abroad while minimalist. You can also find me hanging out around interwebs on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Happy New Year!