I really really enjoyed reading this. Your aunt and uncle are living examples of a creative intellectual life lived with intention. They are (and were) rich in all the ways society is poor. It’s funny how much we can be influenced by family members or other adults in our childhood. My aunt was one of the first females in her generation (circa 1950’s) to wear a two piece bikini and to open up a business of her own in a big city. I would go visit her and be FASCINATED by all the souvenirs from her travels. Her house was always full of twinkly lights, eclectic china sets, an incredible movie selection (all of vhs back then!), dogs, funky decorations, and so much laughter and joy!
I aspire to live like your aunt and uncle too!! People who entertain themselves with learning are the most well-rounded and spiritually wealthy in my opinion.
i love this so much! she sounds so wonderful. and i couldn't agree more. everything we need to know about living a fulfilling life isn't found in materialistic things, but rather, experiences, books, people, etc. <3
the crazy thing is as a first gen kid of immigrants, your aunt and uncle's lifestyle is * the dream * my parents would wish for me. a 2 story house full of prized possessions and stable jobs.
i am halfway through library school and newly inspired by them and you to keep going with gusto!
library school! that's (one) of my dreams <3 i've been looking into masters programs like that. i wish you so much luck and love and success in your program
you should absolutely go for it! here if you have any questions or just wanna chat about it <3 i applied six months into turning 30 after 3 years of pondering and i really wish i'd done it sooner but definitely better late than never :)
What a beautiful piece. I was captivated! Your aunt and uncle sound like they were European at heart (not only because they lived there but because that’s how they aspired to live) - buying only what you need, prioritizing beauty and education, defining your own success… those are very (southern) European values. Thank you for sharing such a personal story!
gosh this was amazing. I went through a minimalist phase during the pandemic where I needed everything gone, i needed to let go of whatever i was holding onto physically and mentally and start fresh. I have since found a happier middle ground, but our physical space is so important to our mental health. I listen to the minimalist podcast whenever i need a reminder that overconsumption didn't fix my problems in the past and it wont fix it now! Kinda like going to church. This is inspiring me to think about writing a piece on the topic!
I think starting with peeling away all the things you don’t want in your life is a stellar beginning. From there you can add back what you want & need.
Examining and repealing our childhood programming is a life long endeavour. Be patient with yourself.
This is beautiful, I've recently deleted social media to help me want less. I have lived most of my life with little money and possessions but amazing experiences. I have been shifting towards less experiences and more possessions as my career has progressed, so I am making a choice to change back to those more simple times with less 🦋
I wish I still knew people like your aunt and uncle, who live life so purposefully and fully, that having to be frugal money seems almost irrelevant. The closest experience is my own aunt and uncle, whose home was a home in the truest sense - lived in, comfortable, carpets, art, books, old jazz standards playing every morning while breakfast is being prepared. I’m really glad you had / have them. I aspire to be like them one day.
yes! what does frugality even mean if your life is so much fuller in all the right ways? this idea of a lived in home brings me so much comfort. and jazz, always. i love this.
I too, wish to live in the English countryside. Like, I want this so bad, it physically hurts. Solidarity, my friend. We will each make our dreams come true one day, I believe it 💫
This felt like the very minimalistic description of my longings in one essay. Your aunt and uncle are exactly the kind of people I aim to be. I think that to filtrate the things you have been conditioned to believe your entire life is very hard, and harder even to keep yourself away and where you truly want to be. I saw someone here say that your aunt and uncle live with intention, and yes yes yes. If you don’t live with knowledge of what your life is and what you want to make of it, is it a life at all?
I’m so glad this resonated with you. And yes, I agree. It’s especially important to live with intention if you were raised with morals and values that don’t align with your own 🤎
thank you for your vulnerability, i loved reading this piece! i, too, always dreamt of living a life like your aunt and uncle. i’m hoping you feel like you find your way more and more as you continue through this life!!
I enjoied this piece. Very much so that I was thinking about how it feels to live like that. Simple and peacful. It is possible as long as I feel we do not let ourselves fall to far down the rabbit hole of the tech and consumption world this has become.
This is partly why I want to heal my relationship with shopping (ie stop buying shit I don't need it wont make me happy) and put my time and money into reading, learning a language or doing something more fulfilling with my money. It's very hard, but thank you for giving me more food for thought about it <3
“Living with intention”, that’s exactly what my mind was trying to grasp as I read this lovely thoughtful post. I’m in the process of figuring out what I truly want to do and what brings me happiness, and it almost feels as if I’ve been living my life in autopilot for a big portion of my twenties (probably in a way a result of my upbringing as well!). This resonated with me soooo much, thank you for writing so honestly and letting us meet your aunt and uncle and the amazing example they’ve set for you (and now for most of us reading your words!)
Thank you so much 🤎 it’s so easy to live life on autopilot. You hear about people way later in life who wake up one day and realize it really is too late. I hope you find things in life that bring you happiness and contentment. You deserve that 🤎
I really really enjoyed reading this. Your aunt and uncle are living examples of a creative intellectual life lived with intention. They are (and were) rich in all the ways society is poor. It’s funny how much we can be influenced by family members or other adults in our childhood. My aunt was one of the first females in her generation (circa 1950’s) to wear a two piece bikini and to open up a business of her own in a big city. I would go visit her and be FASCINATED by all the souvenirs from her travels. Her house was always full of twinkly lights, eclectic china sets, an incredible movie selection (all of vhs back then!), dogs, funky decorations, and so much laughter and joy!
I aspire to live like your aunt and uncle too!! People who entertain themselves with learning are the most well-rounded and spiritually wealthy in my opinion.
i love this so much! she sounds so wonderful. and i couldn't agree more. everything we need to know about living a fulfilling life isn't found in materialistic things, but rather, experiences, books, people, etc. <3
the crazy thing is as a first gen kid of immigrants, your aunt and uncle's lifestyle is * the dream * my parents would wish for me. a 2 story house full of prized possessions and stable jobs.
i am halfway through library school and newly inspired by them and you to keep going with gusto!
library school! that's (one) of my dreams <3 i've been looking into masters programs like that. i wish you so much luck and love and success in your program
you should absolutely go for it! here if you have any questions or just wanna chat about it <3 i applied six months into turning 30 after 3 years of pondering and i really wish i'd done it sooner but definitely better late than never :)
thank you so much! i might take you up on that. i'm happy to hear it was worth it for you.
What a beautiful piece. I was captivated! Your aunt and uncle sound like they were European at heart (not only because they lived there but because that’s how they aspired to live) - buying only what you need, prioritizing beauty and education, defining your own success… those are very (southern) European values. Thank you for sharing such a personal story!
Sometimes I think that, too. Thank you for your kind words 🤎
gosh this was amazing. I went through a minimalist phase during the pandemic where I needed everything gone, i needed to let go of whatever i was holding onto physically and mentally and start fresh. I have since found a happier middle ground, but our physical space is so important to our mental health. I listen to the minimalist podcast whenever i need a reminder that overconsumption didn't fix my problems in the past and it wont fix it now! Kinda like going to church. This is inspiring me to think about writing a piece on the topic!
i've never heard of that podcast, maybe i should check it out! and yes you absolutely should- can't wait to read it <3
I think starting with peeling away all the things you don’t want in your life is a stellar beginning. From there you can add back what you want & need.
Examining and repealing our childhood programming is a life long endeavour. Be patient with yourself.
yes, i love this <3
This is beautiful, I've recently deleted social media to help me want less. I have lived most of my life with little money and possessions but amazing experiences. I have been shifting towards less experiences and more possessions as my career has progressed, so I am making a choice to change back to those more simple times with less 🦋
I love this so much 🤎
I wish I still knew people like your aunt and uncle, who live life so purposefully and fully, that having to be frugal money seems almost irrelevant. The closest experience is my own aunt and uncle, whose home was a home in the truest sense - lived in, comfortable, carpets, art, books, old jazz standards playing every morning while breakfast is being prepared. I’m really glad you had / have them. I aspire to be like them one day.
yes! what does frugality even mean if your life is so much fuller in all the right ways? this idea of a lived in home brings me so much comfort. and jazz, always. i love this.
I too, wish to live in the English countryside. Like, I want this so bad, it physically hurts. Solidarity, my friend. We will each make our dreams come true one day, I believe it 💫
i hope this comes to fruition for both of us as well <3
I really love this. Ive always thought that living intentionally is worth more than living “successfully”
i absolutely agree with you <3
This felt so healing. I’m happy when people question the status quo and pursue their own version of success. Added these book recs to my tbr pile
thank you so much! i hope you love them <3
This felt like the very minimalistic description of my longings in one essay. Your aunt and uncle are exactly the kind of people I aim to be. I think that to filtrate the things you have been conditioned to believe your entire life is very hard, and harder even to keep yourself away and where you truly want to be. I saw someone here say that your aunt and uncle live with intention, and yes yes yes. If you don’t live with knowledge of what your life is and what you want to make of it, is it a life at all?
I’m so glad this resonated with you. And yes, I agree. It’s especially important to live with intention if you were raised with morals and values that don’t align with your own 🤎
thank you for your vulnerability, i loved reading this piece! i, too, always dreamt of living a life like your aunt and uncle. i’m hoping you feel like you find your way more and more as you continue through this life!!
🤎🤎🤎
I enjoied this piece. Very much so that I was thinking about how it feels to live like that. Simple and peacful. It is possible as long as I feel we do not let ourselves fall to far down the rabbit hole of the tech and consumption world this has become.
Yes, absolutely!
This is partly why I want to heal my relationship with shopping (ie stop buying shit I don't need it wont make me happy) and put my time and money into reading, learning a language or doing something more fulfilling with my money. It's very hard, but thank you for giving me more food for thought about it <3
Yes! I love this 🤎
Thank you thank you. I don’t feel so alone. I loved this essay.
Thank you so much 🤎
“Living with intention”, that’s exactly what my mind was trying to grasp as I read this lovely thoughtful post. I’m in the process of figuring out what I truly want to do and what brings me happiness, and it almost feels as if I’ve been living my life in autopilot for a big portion of my twenties (probably in a way a result of my upbringing as well!). This resonated with me soooo much, thank you for writing so honestly and letting us meet your aunt and uncle and the amazing example they’ve set for you (and now for most of us reading your words!)
Thank you so much 🤎 it’s so easy to live life on autopilot. You hear about people way later in life who wake up one day and realize it really is too late. I hope you find things in life that bring you happiness and contentment. You deserve that 🤎