Resisting Consumption and Sunset
For my birthday, we went to dinner at the cafe at the Abiquiu Inn.
Our food was good but not spectacular (I had chili rejenos, M. had blue corn coated fish). We've had lots of excellent New Mexican food in restaurants throughout the state so our standards are probably set pretty high. A full bar would have enhanced the experience. . .
What I most enjoyed was the decor. The walls of the main dining area inside were covered with original art of Southwestern landscapes. The outside eating area was closed due to the weather, but we admired the enormous vigas and the adobe.
There is a gift store next to the entry area and I was tempted by the bright colors of the things I could see through its open doorway, but I resisted. I don't need anything and I don't have a compelling reason to add any new objects to my life.
After dinner we stopped at Bode's General Store for a few groceries. I was definitely part of the target audience for this store. Even though it was not very large, it had things I haven't been able to find in other larger more mainstream groceries such as unsweetened almond milk and Amy's pizzas. They, too, had some pretty objects that tempted me but again I resisted.
So far on this trip I haven't been much tempted by non-essential items; I knew I'd find it harder once we hit New Mexico. The bright colors of the clothing and textiles excite my aesthetic appetites, as does the simple, rugged, and nature-inspired style. In the past, I've been an acquirer of objects. I like to have a home space that's filled with interesting things, each of which prompts me to remember the experience that led me to acquire it. But when I got sick and began to reduce stressors in my life, as well as to re-think consumption more generally, I began to pare down my belongings to the most essential and the most meaningful. Now that we've been living in our rv for seven months, I'm even more conscious of acquiring non-essential and non-meaningful things. We have limited space and we want to keep the weight of what we're hauling as low as possible.
Our initial packing was super minimal since there were the two of us and our dog living in the space of our 13-foot Trillium. When after several months we found that living space too small for our mental health in cold and wet weather, we moved into our 30-foot 5th wheel. Our new trailer has more space and we've bought quite a few household items in the last few months. We've also learned what kinds of places we're most likely stay, and those places have electricity. Before we hit the road, I imagined us boondocking almost exclusively, and relying on our solar panels. But then M. went back to working full-time remotely, and it's essential that the devices he uses for work (laptop, external monitor, cell phone, hot spot, etc.) are always charged 24 hours a day. When we set out, we also had no kitchen space beyond the stove top and sink, no double bed, and no bathroom in the Trillium. We'd planned to return home after five months.
The purchases we have made have been difficult because everything we've bought is something we already have back at our house in Maine. For example, we've purchased a blender, toaster, coffee maker, mop, bathroom trash can and bath mat, printer, external monitor, mattress, sheets, kitchen towels, doormat, fan, and kitchen rug.
I've also had to buy clothing because the things I brought with me, already well-worn, developed holes that could no longer be ignored. Something I didn't realize: Clothing wears out very quickly when you pack and cycle through a small number of basics. When we left Maine in November, I packed a single pair of shorts; even though I knew we were headed for a warmer climate, I didn't anticipate that I'd eventually be wearing shorts almost every day, or that we'd still be on the road in the spring. So, I've had to buy more shorts, underwear, long and short sleeve t-shirts, leggings, socks, and sandals, even though I have more of these things back in my drawers in Maine.
Still, I can't think of a single non-essential item that I've bought while we've been on the road, and I'm happy about that.
Below, a sunset shot over Abiquiu Reservoir.
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What I most enjoyed was the decor. The walls of the main dining area inside were covered with original art of Southwestern landscapes. The outside eating area was closed due to the weather, but we admired the enormous vigas and the adobe.
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| Outside dining area. Photo from Abiquiu Inn website (www.abiquiuinn.com) |
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| Pretty things in the Abiquiu Giftshop. Photo from Abiquiu Inn website (www.abiquiuinn.com) |
After dinner we stopped at Bode's General Store for a few groceries. I was definitely part of the target audience for this store. Even though it was not very large, it had things I haven't been able to find in other larger more mainstream groceries such as unsweetened almond milk and Amy's pizzas. They, too, had some pretty objects that tempted me but again I resisted.
So far on this trip I haven't been much tempted by non-essential items; I knew I'd find it harder once we hit New Mexico. The bright colors of the clothing and textiles excite my aesthetic appetites, as does the simple, rugged, and nature-inspired style. In the past, I've been an acquirer of objects. I like to have a home space that's filled with interesting things, each of which prompts me to remember the experience that led me to acquire it. But when I got sick and began to reduce stressors in my life, as well as to re-think consumption more generally, I began to pare down my belongings to the most essential and the most meaningful. Now that we've been living in our rv for seven months, I'm even more conscious of acquiring non-essential and non-meaningful things. We have limited space and we want to keep the weight of what we're hauling as low as possible.
Our initial packing was super minimal since there were the two of us and our dog living in the space of our 13-foot Trillium. When after several months we found that living space too small for our mental health in cold and wet weather, we moved into our 30-foot 5th wheel. Our new trailer has more space and we've bought quite a few household items in the last few months. We've also learned what kinds of places we're most likely stay, and those places have electricity. Before we hit the road, I imagined us boondocking almost exclusively, and relying on our solar panels. But then M. went back to working full-time remotely, and it's essential that the devices he uses for work (laptop, external monitor, cell phone, hot spot, etc.) are always charged 24 hours a day. When we set out, we also had no kitchen space beyond the stove top and sink, no double bed, and no bathroom in the Trillium. We'd planned to return home after five months.
The purchases we have made have been difficult because everything we've bought is something we already have back at our house in Maine. For example, we've purchased a blender, toaster, coffee maker, mop, bathroom trash can and bath mat, printer, external monitor, mattress, sheets, kitchen towels, doormat, fan, and kitchen rug.
I've also had to buy clothing because the things I brought with me, already well-worn, developed holes that could no longer be ignored. Something I didn't realize: Clothing wears out very quickly when you pack and cycle through a small number of basics. When we left Maine in November, I packed a single pair of shorts; even though I knew we were headed for a warmer climate, I didn't anticipate that I'd eventually be wearing shorts almost every day, or that we'd still be on the road in the spring. So, I've had to buy more shorts, underwear, long and short sleeve t-shirts, leggings, socks, and sandals, even though I have more of these things back in my drawers in Maine.
Still, I can't think of a single non-essential item that I've bought while we've been on the road, and I'm happy about that.
Below, a sunset shot over Abiquiu Reservoir.
I also bought two latptops, a cell phone, two mifi access points, a lap desk, a shop vac...
ReplyDeleteNext up, new cameras.