Back in the early/mid Eighties I spent the better part of 3 years living in a cabover camper up in Anchorage. Camper was mounted on the back of a
1948 Diamond T truck along with my welder and torches and tools. Kind of lived like a troglodyte then - no credit or phone, few taxes, almost off the grid.
Had a home base in Mt. View where I had access to a nearby bathroom and enough 110v power in the camper to run a 60 watt bulb. The Aqua blue, 3 burner stove, Dometic Fridge, and heater all functioned perfectly on propane only. Wasn't much of a listener to music and never owned a tv till years after I returned to MN. No computers then. 60 watts was plenty.
Most of my time I stayed in Mt. View, going to to other places like Eagle River, Wasilla, once to Homa, and here and there where I worked. Was a mobile, if not traveling, welding service.
Sometimes I was chagrined to see how little I owned. People I knew had so much more of everything.
Dunno.
I came back and started getting stuff. And now have a pretty large pile.
Don't think it's enough to retire on yet. So I'm still carrying it along through life. Sometimes I grow weary of having it.
When I do, I look back at that time in Anchorage. It was a cool old camper.
Nice Birch interior and cleverly sculpted niches and cabinets for storage.
I could haul most every thing I owned on the back of a 2 ton truck.
I made simple, wholesome meals. I read a lot of great books under that bulb.
And I met people who influenced me. In a hundred large and small ways. Perhaps because I had time to let them.
It was simple. Free of clutter.
I suppose we're never truely grateful for what we have.
But I am grateful for having lived that way.
For a little while at least. And I sure wouldn't trade the experience for the aquisitions that my frends made in that same time.
Be nice to live that simply again. Somehow. If you could.
There'd be so much to part with...