Year 28: De-Materializing my life. Living Minimal - out of a rucksack for a year.

Every year i write a note on my birthday. This year, its a bit late as it took a while to get to this decision. And it is a big one.

I have always been a minimalist at heart. I love many things, but i don't quite have the desire to OWN or POSSESS anything or anyone. It is just how I am. I have never even tied my pet dog to a leash. I don't restrict the people I love from doing anything they believe would make them happy. And i don't let the loss of any possession sadden me. (which is why I don't attend funerals - because I can't relate to the sense of loss) The way I have seen life in my few 28 years, things come and go, sometimes even people come and go, you and you consciousness, your memories and the relationships you have built with people sort of stay on.

So this year, starting august, I'm making some big changes for a year:

I'm moving to my village and rebuilding my village home into a self-sustainable cottage - as simple, rustic and self-sustainable as possible, with minimum dependence on external sources for anything.  

I'm giving away everything i own to my family and close friends - including my paintings, my electronics, my DVD collection and my motorcycle.  Excluding a few essentials that i will carry with me.

I'll be carrying everything I need, in a single ruck sack - that's less than 50 possessions.  

I'll be travelling to the city for work and travelling back to the village every week - and after a year, i'll move back to the city and see how i want to spend the next year of my life on this weird planet. 

Will be documenting the development of my house with pics and videos to compile a documentary on self sustainable architecture. Will try and blog it here now and then.

Cheers!
Pushkaraj Shirke