Alter-Nomad: On Simplicity

We are living in a society where goods of consumption become transient (planned obsolescence), where a thirst for new material possessions prevails. I started simplifying my life to reduce my impact. Simplicity is key in many things people crave for — food, friendship, comfort, happiness, love. Learning to simplify is learning to put what really matters first while ditching the rest. Life is short and there is no need to make it busy. Busyness is absurd, we should strive to make our time on earth productive and enjoyable instead. “Simplify, simplify,” says Thoreau. “Less is more” is today’s minimalist credo. In the collective imaginary, the nomad is firstly a simple individual. Simplicity is no simplistic vision of the world. Etymologically speaking, the term “nomad” refers to the member of a tribe of itinerant shepherds: a mix of “nomas” (“the pastoral”) and “odos” (“the road”) in ancient Greek, to describe those who change locations depending on the seasonal rhythm by carrying their material possessions with them. A nomad does not accumulate, he carries his patrimony. Simplicity and anti-consumerism are both values passed down to us by the historical nomads. Over-consumption is incompatible with environmentalism.

One thing that attracted me to the nomad lifestyle, in particular, is how it presupposes minimalism. In our digital age, the sustainability of mobility implies that a responsible physical mobility is pretty loaded down and barely connected. The full-time traveler must act as a mindful consumer by avoiding “meta-architectures of storage”[@abbas]: the tendency for travelers to disseminate their possessions everywhere, even replicating them sometimes in several physical locations. Simplicity is not only an individual obligation but also a societal responsibility. We have the opportunity to tackle consequent contemporary problems such as over-consumption or air pollution while enjoying a more meaningful life. Living a simple life is a much more powerful philosophy than commoditized ecological practices that you can read about in simplistic fashion magazines. When I graduated from college, I took all the money I saved and set on to make my own products while traveling. My parents never had a lot of money. I saved all I could from scholarships and an end-of-study internship. I choose to live a simple life, not because I am a masochist, but because I have been raised this way and I enjoy it. I do not plan on buying a house. I do not plan on buying a car. Except for one flight every one to three months maybe, I’m pretty sure my energy consumption is far less than a regular sedentary: traveling as a minimalist, you live off existing infrastructures, the clutter of others. In terms of material possessions, the only thing I miss is my bike. I do not feel well when I carry too much stuff. Wherever I go, people are always surprised at how small my luggage is. In Asia, I carry three t-shirts, two shirts, three pairs of pants, one pair of shoes, four pairs of socks, four underwears, and a blazer for whenever it gets cold. I never fail to bring a tie and a waistcoat. There is always a good reason to suit up when you travel. When I stay inside I use a sports shirt and a pair of shorts. Except for clothes, the only thing I need is my laptop and a few electronics. What I carry fits in a medium-sized bag, and I like it this way. Anything else I need is at reach. From my rented apartment/hotel room. From the grocery shop by the street. From locals. We all live off the clutter of others, digital nomads more than anyone else.

The engineer part of my brain loves optimizing, so I quickly got attracted to the concept of minimalism during my college years. Minimalism has been around for thousands of year. From Diogenes the Cynic to Marie Kondo, the core idea remains the same: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”[@saintex]. Perfection is an ideal state. You cannot reach it forever: perfection rarely comes, it will eventually go. Saint-Exupery was referring to the craftsmen who built his airplane. The quest for perfection doesn’t start with accumulation. It begins with simplification: when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness, when the superficial is removed to expose the core. Minimalism is a philosophy with many subcultures. I am not a big fan of “Checklist Minimalism”, it’s not so much about how many pieces of clothing you own. There is but a short step between minimalism and asceticism. Tending toward asceticism is missing the point of minimalism, which is to make the most out of your time on this planet. It’s about getting your life together by aligning your actions, possessions, and values. We only have so much time every day. Isn’t it better to spend it on things that matter? A minimalist is an individual who understands the finite nature of time well enough to make conscious decisions on a daily basis towards his own betterment without ever losing compassion. Minimalism is not a trend. It’s not even a revolutionary idea. It’s a mindset easily drown in the ambient noise and forgotten, but it remains a wise practice. Stoïcs such as Marcus Aurelius spoke of practicing poverty as a way to eliminate fear. I remember going to the airport in Treviso near Venice in Italia to visit my then girlfriend in Bucharest. I arrived by bus late at night. To my utter surprise, the airport was locked and I couldn’t get in. I had to spend the night outside in the street. I walked a few kilometers and tried looking for an open store where I could rest, to no avail. I sat on a bench near a water fountain - it was a hot summer night - and tried to sleep. I was literally homeless for a night. A neighbor must have called the cops on me because I woke up to the sound of a police car siren. Two cops approached to ask me some questions. I explained the situation and was left alone a few minutes later. I came back to the airport, sat on the ground, and waited till morning to board my plane. Ha, the things you can do for love! When you face this kind of unexpected situation during your travels you learn to adapt and appreciate what you have. Simplicity is no poverty, yet a form of transcendence.