I found it very difficult to post this first blog post.  It makes me feel vulnerable and exposed.  I knew that if I was going to do this, I had to just begin.

I began the journey to this blog in 2010 when I became a single mom to my two girls and, in a blend of practicality and survival instinct, began to simplify my life.

The decade that followed was amazing, and truly, that would have been the time to be sharing my life with you.   I figured out what I really value in life.  I “Marie Kondo-ed” my stuff, raised and launched my daughters into the world, downsized, and eliminated my debt.

These days I live in a Victorian style house in a rural town on the East coast of Canada with my Sweetie.  I manage a long-term care facility for seniors, and practice simplicity, minimalism, and slow living, while living a life full of adventures.  You didn’t think slow living meant “boring” did you?

Fall in New Brunswick comes with some amazing foliage.  My driveway.

Photograph by Nola Noreen!

I decided to take the leap into blogging for many reasons.  I love words and writing.  In a former life I recieved a Computer Science degree, and all this techie stuff brings me back to my roots.  It feels creative but doesn’t take up space or require stuff like many creative endeavors do (which is important to the minimalist in me).  It also feels a bit like mentoring, or a way of giving back, which I believe is important to do.

The big picture reason, however, is that I think there is value in sharing my story.

Choosing to live a simple life is choosing to live an alternative lifestyle in a mainstream world.  As much as we hear about simple living, it is hard to accomplish in a society that thrives on a fast pace and consumerism.

As I navigated through this over the past decade it has been really hard to find real-life, practical examples of how to live simply without dropping out of society, living off-grid, or owning only 27 items.  I just wanted to raise my kiddos and have a successful career without all the “trappings” that come with it.  I didn’t want to take it to the extremes.

I did manage to achieve the simple life I desired, with a little (or sometimes a lot) of trial and error, and now I am so aware of all the benefits that come with it.  The freedom to explore opportunities, pursue interests that really matter to me, do work I love, live without financial stress, and more!

It’s a little bit like being in love; you know that stage when you are so happy with life you want everyone else to be in love too?  That’s how I feel.  Like I want everyone to know how amazing a simple life can be and how to take that leap!

As I grow this blog, I intend for it to be a blend of my current life adventures in simple living and my past experiences in getting there. I will present things in a simple way, unfiltered.  After all, that’s what simple living is all about. I will talk about how to:

• Achieve a simple lifestyle in a complicated world
• Practically practice minimalism
• Live slow in a world designed for speed
• Explore all the options these changes open up to you

For me, living a simple life has led to less stress, no debt, more happiness, more time in nature, more adventures, and more job contentment.

If you are ready to, or in the process of, simplifying life but are struggling to make it work in the somewhat chaotic world we live in, my advice is the same advice I gave myself about blogging…just begin.

Share your own story in the comments, or drop me a line at NolaNoreen@gmail.com.

 I would love to hear about your journey!