travel philosophy – Field Trip Notebook

Making Space for Abundance

(If you came here from No Sidebar, thank you and welcome! I love comments. I also write postcards from, well, wherever we are at https://launaatlarge.substack.com/.)

Recently I heard someone use the word abundance to explain why minimalism is not for her. I want a life of abundance, she said. Such a beautiful, positive word. Me too, I thought.

I can see what she means. She’s not the only person I’ve heard speak of minimalism like this, as the opposite of abundance and all that word implies of ample everything, handfuls of plenty, big bouquets of living large. It gave me pause to consider that these two words might be on opposite sides of a spectrum. And yet here I am with very few possessions in the minimalist life I have chosen. How do I square minimalism with a yearning for abundance? Is it true that they are mutually exclusive?

The Case for a Modest Wedding

I recently saw an old friend who had just returned from a destination wedding on the Mayan Riviera. When I asked about it, he handed me his phone so I could flip through the photos.

A beautiful wedding. It cost a lot.

A lot.

What looks like a wedding ring is actually a time machine. Each time I look at that tiny diamond, I’m reminded of how long we’ve been together and how far we’ve come. I wouldn’t “trade it up” for anything.

This blog is about minimalism and travel, so it may feel a little off-topic to tread into the shark-infested waters of wedding costs. But stay with me on this: a decision against a dream wedding, opting for a modest wedding instead, could be the beginning of a dream life.

Curating Your Travels

*At the entrance to our street in Marrakesh.*

I had a good conversation with a dear friend of mine on the phone the other day.

“How are you finding Marrakesh?” she asked.

“I love it,” I said. Then I paused. “The truth is, I’m choosing to love it. I’m curating my experience.”

The no-tour, DIY Itinerary for Hadrian’s Wall

[For why walking Hadrian’s Wall is a great idea, and why planning it yourself is an even better idea, read my post here.]

Truly, planning this inn-to-inn through-hike yourself is very doable and adds immeasurably to the pleasure of your trip. Here’s our full itinerary to get you started.