Shedding old skin to make way for the new.

Realising how much emphasis I put into the objects I have around me, and how little they actually meant once I took the meaning away from them to lock inside my brain.

Clearing clutter to make space for me.

For anyone who knows me, they know that I've always struggled with hoarding, I'll find any reason I possibly can to justify why I should keep practically everything, so I guess it's no suprise that fitting this life into a backpack wasn't easy.

This has been one of the slower, harder processes I've gone through and I was blessed enough to have been stood down at the start of the year. I really had no excuses anymore.

As I was starting down a path of self development I noticed that it got easier and easier to cull my things, I was changing mentally which helped me want to also change physically. I noticed my fashion changed from trying to express myself and my bubbly personality with bright, vibrant colours to realising that that all came from within and I didn't need to wear a rainbow dress for others to see it. This got the ball rolling for me, as I packed around 10 bags of clothing for the opp shops. Unfortunately this still isn't enough as it seems I still haven't thrown any of my clothes out since 2010.. but I'm still trying to fit two wardrobes worth into a small dufflebag.

I guess once I realised this process of moving from a house into a van meant no pretty knick knacks (I have tried, nothing bloody fits!) it helped me realise what was truly important to me and what I was just holding onto because I had the luxury of space.

This process actually became quite addicting, I don't know if you've ever tried culling your life long collections and challenging yourself on what truly matters, but damn it feels pretty amazing to be physically changing part of yourself and removing what no longer serves you as the person you want to be.

I'd have to say the synchronicity of watching my Nan move into a nursing home and realising how little meaning all of her random trinkets actually held was the biggest eye opener for me. For this experience I'm so grateful, it really helped fuel me to realise that it's not what the objects are, but the memories they carry, which all comes from our minds.

This new mindset has helped create so much space for new memories, for a new meaning to life that doesn't revolve around the material purchases I've made but instead harnesses the experiences I've lived.