I think it's always bothered me to some extent that I don't fit in a box. I don't fit in with a certain group of people or completely resonate with a label. Sometimes I've wished I could say I was a homesteader, or farmer, a tiny house dweller, or some other label that seems impressive. I don't fit with the mainstream "normal" but I also don't fit with those that live alternative lifestyles either.
I try to feed my family healthy foods and make most things from scratch but we eat the occasional McDonald's drive through meals and boxed pizza with soda some nights. Those aren't normal occurrences but I don't feel bad about them when they happen. We take our vitamins, I limit sugar to some extent, I try to make as many whole food meals as possible, but we are far from eating all organic or being considered health nut people. I keep my food and meals simple, easy, and as healthy as possible while maintaining our budget, keeping my time in the kitchen limited, and working with what is available in my rural area.
I resonate with minimalism and yet what we own is flexible based on our space and lifestyle wherever we are living. Things fluctuate a bit up and down. I base it more off of what feels good in our space and how much we can realistically maintain. Different things are needed in different seasons and I think it’s important to be in tune with the season you are in and what you need during that time. I don't have the minimalist aesthetic of grays, blacks, and whites, or all the sleek modern designs. My kids don't have all wooden toys and perfectly designed bedrooms, and I don't think it seems super obvious that we are "minimalists".
I try to shop local to some extent but when you live as rural as we do, there just isn't much local to be had. Shopping used is great and I love the idea but it's never been a sustainable option for us when the closest thrift store is an hour away and hardly ever has anything that we actually need. I have friends that their whole houses are decorated from yard sales and thrift stores and they have the cutest, quaintest homes and I absolutely love it! I just personally am not that great at decor and putting things together and I'm not one to constantly buy things (no matter how cheap) and try different items and designs. I am not a huge fan of big box stores and look for alternatives when I can while also balancing affordability and accessibility. I would rather buy what I need when I need it, than to buy a bunch of used things that only half serve the purpose.
I'm a homeschool mom and yet I don't have oodles of curriculum or bookshelves full of books and resources. We have a few books that meet the school requirements and school is a simple affair with lots of love, craft time, real life learning, cooking, and reading added on top in a way that flows naturally in the day. I don't have big lesson plans or an elaborate school room, or all the props, or nature collections. I'm definitely NOT "homeschool goals" and I don't feel impressive or very creative. I'm not a crafty mom or one to do lots of projects and activities with my kids. We do the basics simply and in a way that fits our life and priorities.
I love the countryside and being a "country girl" but I've mostly lived in towns, albeit small ones. I've lived in apartments, duplexes, trailer houses, big farmhouses, and small little houses. I've lived from the west coast to the east coast, close to family and 3,000 miles away. I've lived in towns where we didn't know a soul when we moved there and towns where we had great friends or family already there. I've grown plants in small containers and had huge gardens. I've had times where I've had to source all our food from the local Walmart, and I've had times where I've not stepped foot in a grocery store for months at a time. I've had chickens and milk goats and bottle calves, and I've lived in places where none of that was possible.
I am not big on technology and you won't find much tech in our house. A laptop, a bluetooth speaker, and two smartphones are the extent of our technology. We have never owned a TV but we do watch the occasional movie. I only have a few apps on my phone. A banking app, a kindle app, an app for our phone services. I prefer pen and paper for most things. We are not anti-tech though and see many benefits to it, but within boundaries.
I feel like an old soul sometimes and definitely have a pull towards old fashioned living and times gone by. I always have. Yet, I don't live in an alternative reality or wish I lived in a different time. I learn lessons from times past and take notes but I don't wish to run away from reality or live in a way that makes it hard to relate to others. I definitely enjoy the benefits of running water, warm houses, and indoor plumbing while also learning skills that are almost lost in our current world. I think slow, simple living is a timeless art that is just as applicable and beneficial today as it was a hundred years ago.
I think it’s hard to know how to explain myself because what I do and can do changes so much based on where we live. I don’t have hardcore principles that I live by (except my religious beliefs) but I do have priorities and have learned to allow some flexibility in those. Some things always stay the same and I’ve learned to focus on those and allow the HOW to unfold differently in each place. It used to be discouraging to me because I would just get everything figured out based on where we lived and think, “Ok! This is how we do things. This is who I am. I live in a small house. Or on a minimum wage budget. Or on a homestead.” and then we would move and our life looked totally different. I’ve learned to be grateful for the changes as it has kept me from finding my identity in titles and what I do, but in Jesus and who He has made me as a person. It has stripped everything else away and kept things focused on the most important basics which always stay the same no matter the area or income. Those things like loving my family and neighbors well, practicing hospitality, educating and training our children, living within our means, making our house a home, praying for my family, and serving them.
I’m not sure how all life will look here in our new place yet. I’m still relearning where to get things and source things from. I’m adjusting to living in town again after living in the country for the last 4 years. Our income is more than we have ever made but we also have a vehicle payment for the first time in 6 years since becoming debt free. So if I could describe myself to someone, I would say that I have learned to hold all things loosely, to enjoy the blessings as well as changes, to trust our future to an All-Knowing God, and that faithfulness is much better than having all the answers. In this, I place my confidence and identity.