Welcome to Pared Living. The pared pair behind Pared Living is George & Andrea. Here’s how we fell into minimalism.
George
I fell into a pared-down life out of necessity. I had to condense everything I owned into a 30 foot RV and then travel around for work. The cramped conditions left little room for creature comforts, extra outfits, or much in the way of sentimental items. The experience of living this way was freeing, I began to feel more alive, not having to worry about mowing the lawn, or buying things I had no room for. I soon discovered “Meditiations” by Marcus Aurelius, and “The Minimalists” podcast. Both of these served to explain why my new life was working for me. Fast forward 3 years and I am still learning, stumbling, and growing. Luckily I met my soulmate, who shares the same values, way of life, and outlook as I do. Together, I hope we can share some of our experiences, thoughts, tips, lessons learned, and whatever else comes our way in life.
Andrea
Growing up, my parent’s default answer to many of my questions was, “Because we’re minimalists.” I often dreamt of having things like my own power wheel, a big new house, a pool and designer clothes. I thought these things would amplify my happiness. Little did I know, my parents knew better. In their words, they gave my brother and me everything we needed and a little of what we wanted. Today, the opposite seems to be the social norm. While I may not have had the nicest things, I had what money cannot buy – loving parents, devoted to instilling morals, values and a strong work ethic in my brother and me. These skills enabled me to gain independence out of college, where I ventured off to treat myself to the things that I thought equated to happiness – a new car, a newish house and many unnecessary accessories I desired. And then one night I was faced with a decision to leave my physical house and realized all my “valuables” fit into my little Mazda 3, including the KitchenAid I saved up for at the age of 14. It’s been almost 4 years since I left my first house. While it’s been a back and forth battle between consumerism and minimalism, I find the answer for me tends to reside with less. Fewer obligations leave more room for the “want to’s” and cut back on the “shoulds” or “have to’s.” Realizing how far-reaching paring down can go intrigues me. From the more obvious physical things to my profession in nutrition, I’m learning the many and diverse merits of paring down. I’m excited to share what we learn as we go.