How much do you need to be happy?

I mean, really? 

Take a physical inventory of your life and the objects you own. How many items do you need for survival? How many contribute to your quality of life and happiness?  How many things have you been holding on to for years, and haven't seen in months? 

The answer to this question will be different for everyone who asks it.

Some will find that having collections of books gives a feeling of fulfillment. To some, display shelves stocked with antique bric-a-brac brings joy to look at. Maybe you have a closet filled to the brim and overflowing because you feel that looking good is feeling good. How about boxes of knick knacks that give you a feeling of nostalgia when you rifle through the contents?
I am not saying any of these are bad. Don't panic, I'm not going to tell you to get rid of all of your stuff. I'm right in there with you!
Shelves of books I have already read or never will? Check.

This is our bookshelf. And we've already gotten rid of quite a few!

Stacks of records and CD's, many of which I own because of one single? Got 'em.

Oh CD jewel cases, the bane of any minimalist's existence!

How about DVDs? Over 400 of them last I counted.

Our DVD's are stored in this dresser, plus a few Tupperware tubs and boxes. 

I've got boxes of holiday decorations, toys and collectibles from my childhood, backpacks, and other miscellaneous debris. 
As we begin to talk about what sort of lifestyle we want to lead, we are ever so gradually starting to see that most of these items are completely unnecessary.

 I have enjoyed all of our things. We spent our hard earned money on them because they have brought us joy at one time. 

 But perhaps the seasons have changed. Our fondness for having these material posessions is waning. I cringe at the thought of having to pack all of this up one day to move, only to put it away out of sight for another 3 years.

I'll say it again, this isn't a "throw all your meaningless junk away" post. There are some things that really do add to our experience. Book and records, for instance.

 To me, listening to an album on vinyl is an immersive and interactive experience, and it enriches our appreciation for music. 

Reading a physical book is much more satisfying than any e-reader. Many of these items will travel with us wherever we go, although our collections will be much more condensed.
No one needs that much Herb Alpert, anyway.
Our end goal is to downsize and minimize our posessions to what actually contributes to our quality of life.
Some things make it easy to get rid of. Take CDs and DVDs for example.

 Steaming media has become pretty much all-encompassing, so that you can pretty much watch any movie or listen to any album you want, whenever you want it, between Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, HBO Go, etc.
So here's our homework:
Go through your house. Search the endless nooks and crannies, boxes, shelves and storage areas. Be hard on yourself. Take note of the layer of dust on each box, book and shelf, and ask yourself what you truly need to be happy.  If you haven't looked at it or used it in the last 6 months to a year, chances are you don't need it.

Tough Choices

For years, Jen and I have talked about moving out of our home state of Arizona. 
Talked about it. We had a lot of pros and a lot of cons on our list, making it difficult to ever truly commit to picking everything up and transplant ourselves in a strange new place. And now with our year and a half old twin daughters, the decision became even more difficult.

The pros for leaving Arizona were plenty. We wanted to live somewhere cooler. Somewhere closer to the mountains, forests, and wilderness. Somewhere less populated. Somewhere the education of our daughters is a priority, not a last topic in a state's budget plan. Somewhere better for raising a family than the sprawling, inhospitable desert. We wanted green. We wanted a breath of fresh air after years of dust. 

The cons: Leaving family.
That was it. Just one con. 
But when you have kids, it's a huge one. Most of my family are here; my parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, cousins, etc...these people have supported me in anything I've ever wanted to do. They taught me everything I know about how to be decent and honest. I want them to be a big part of my daughter's lives. 
Jen's parents have wanted to leave the valley for quite some time. They actually managed to. For a brief while they lived in Durango, until we announced that we were having twins. 

Our red letter day was an afternoon in June when Zoe decided run out to the mailbox in our driveway. Barefoot. In less than 10 seconds, she had obtained 2nd degree burns over much of her feet just from the concrete driveway. 

That was what did it. Holding Zoe in the burn unit ER, we decided that we needed to get out of the heat. Kids should be able to enjoy being outside, not have to hide from it for 6 months. 

Once we finally came to a decision to move out of state, the next question was obvious: Where?

We took a long, honest look at ourselves and tried to pin down what was truly important to us.   

What makes our hearts sing?

What we ultimately decided (and agreed on quite strongly), was that it was US. We want nothing more than to be together. As a couple, and as a family. 

See, Jen and I have always been better together. For the better part of the last decade, we worked together at a small chain grocery store. We worked the same days and hours so we could carpool. We had the same lunch breaks, the same days off. We were together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we loved it. We get along better and communicate better when we are together. I don't know of many other couples that could do that, or that would even want to.

We also loved being outside, especially if it happened to be miles and miles away from the things of man. 

I grew up camping and fishing, roaming around the desert with my dad, and feeling most connected when I'm in the sun under an open sky.

Jen was raised a backpacker and hiker with a great love for the outdoors and the desire to seek solitude and beauty in them. I've seen this girl take on trails and conditions some of my guy friends wouldn't go near. And she did it all without complaint, but with eagerness.

So, we've decided to move. The "where" is as of yet undetermined. We have an idea, but no spoilers yet. 

The next question was, "What kind of lifestyle do we want to live, now that we are starting from scratch?" 

What kind of story do we want to tell our little girls? 

Jen and I are both admittedly very apolitical. We'd rather stay out of the messy affairs of our government. We are very interested, however, in being decent human beings. We like to support individuals who look out for humanity as a whole, and who realize the frailty of our only home out here in space. 

We want our message to our daughters to be one of love, not of fear. 

One of conservation rather than commercialism. 

A message that relationships and experiences are more important than a portfolio. 

We want to show them some the most beautiful places on earth. We want to teach them the importance of preserving and protecting this beautiful Earth. 

And we're starting to realize that the way to do all of these things is by simplifying our life. We are realizing that we don't need near as much as we think we do to survive, and that the majority of our "stuff" is what is weighing us down. 

It's going to be a journey, that's for sure. We have a long way to go, and we'll bring you along with us as we learn to live more simply and to love more greatly.

Flagstaff

Flagstaff.

Well, hello again! It's been a while. I plan on posting much more frequently from here on out. I have a lot of exciting things to talk about, so keep on the lookout for new posts. 

Last Tuesday was a pretty rough day. I had a tough phone call that Monday, and work in the afternoon seemed to drag on and on. That is, until I received one of the best texts I've gotten in a while. It was from my wife Jen and it read: 

A hike! Jen always knows how to get me out of a funk. I'm sure my face lit up and I had an ear to ear grin on my face. Anytime I have a hike to look forward to, everything else seems not so bad. 

So Thursday morning, we ditched out of swim class and loaded up the car for a day trip. The sky was gray and ominous and beautiful. Perfect for an escape from the arid 106 degree heat.

Flagstaff is home to one of our favorite breakfast and coffee spots. We make an effort to get up there early just to have coffee and a bite at Macy's European Coffee House. (the granola with yogurt and the vegan waffles are fantastic.)

Satiated and reawakened by the coffee, we headed up the hill towards Snowbowl until we reached our trailhead. 

The Veit Springs Trail in the Lamar Haines Memorial Wildlife Area is an easily ambling 1.5 mile walk in the beautiful woods above Flagstaff. It tilts and rolls softly as you meander through fields of ferns and flowers, all under the canopy of Quaking Aspens, Douglas Firs and Ponderosa Pine. 

Not far from the start, the trail cuts east and makes a bee-line to the Indian Springs. Here lies the now dilapidated ruins of Ludwig Veit's 160 sq/ft cabin. Old Lud had good taste in location. Indian Spring, middle Spring and Canadian Spring are all within pretty close proximity. You can also catch some Petroglyphs and Pictographs on the rock walls near the cabin.

Zoe at one of the springs.

Zoe and Parker loved the hike! They seem to genuinely love being outside, exploring every leaf and stick on the ground, inspecting every flower that pokes itself out into the trail right at eye level. 

Always take time to smell the flowers.

Zoe and Parker say hello to a friend we found on the trail!

The trek proved exciting yet exhausting for the girls, and we ended up carrying their limp, sleeping bodies the rest of the way to the car. It's amazing how much heavier they are when they're sleeping!

Back at the trailhead, it was lunch time! Well, for most of us.

Days like this remind me of not only how lucky I am, but how important it is to get outside and experience the outdoors. I am always happier when I am outside, and even a quick trip like this one does a great deal to refresh and recharge me.