«Happiness travels with you»: How letting go brings lightness

We have everything we need for travelling and living. The rest of our possessions have been lying dormant in a container in the border triangle near Basel for two years.

We remind ourselves of this from time to time. Then we ask the group: «Who is missing something that is stored there?»

Everyone shrugs their shoulders. «That lovely old book from the chemist's with the types of roses in it!» says the older one. «Hmmm, a few soft toys, but nothing really!» says the younger one. My husband would love to play our piano again and I miss the little coloured breakfast bowls and the old red Ikea glass cabinet where they used to be.

The big clear-out

When we were clearing out the flat at the time, we divided our belongings into three categories: away, store and with. All the stuff that had accumulated in our home over twelve years with children was shocking. When and how did all this stuff end up in our household?

We sold or gave away a lot of things and we parents tried to keep only the essentials. With the children, we didn't interfere too much with whether an item would really still be important in a year or two.

In this way, many things disappeared into cardboard boxes for storage, which have long since been forgotten.

Still too many possessions?

In the Cévennes, at the grandparents' house, there is a temporary store of things that we might need from time to time. Each child also has a large box there with important items. A small box with favourite objects is allowed in the caravan.

Can you guess already? Most of it is never taken in hand.

The collecting instinct wanes

Since we've been travelling, we've always tried to make things even easier for ourselves. Because we still don't really need much of what we take with us in our luggage in everyday life.

In between, I feel a bit like Hans in Luck: the more we let go, the happier I am. Dealing with clutter puts me in a bad mood.

In the first six months of the trip, we collect shells and stones everywhere to take with us.

In the meantime, this collecting instinct has also subsided. We often just look at the beautiful objects, perhaps put them in our trouser pockets for a while and then put them down again. We no longer need to keep them all.

Less sugar, salt and fat

Letting go is not just about objects, but also about habits. One example is nutrition.

We have never been particularly strict when it comes to food. Nevertheless, on our trip, we can live certain values in relation to healthy eating in a more relaxed way.

A diet with less sugar, salt and saturated fats is much easier if you are not constantly exposed to the temptations at the supermarket checkout, kiosk or snack machine. We don't need convenience food because we have enough time to cook fresh.

The number of birthday parties is limited to close family members and they can manage without tonnes of jelly babies, Smarties and sweet drinks.

In the meantime, the whole family's taste buds have become so accustomed to certain industrially processed products that the children simply no longer like them.

What I really miss

I have to admit that sometimes the only thing I really miss is a household item: my own washing machine.

Being able to use my own detergent and being sure that shoe shine carpets haven't just been washed in front of us would be a big plus at times.

My small wallet with the one and two euro coins for the camping washing machines is well guarded, because the certainty of being able to wash gives a certain feeling of security when you don't have a fixed home.

The longing for a permanent home

There are families who bake Christmas cookies in a pan on the go and find it cosy. We don't have a proper oven for Advent!

Luckily, we can stay with our grandparents in winter and enjoy the benefits of a brick-built house. At Christmas, everyone longs for the cosiness of a permanent home.

Have free hands

Basically, we lack very little and we are very happy with a life in which there is a little less of everything.

«If you let go of something, you have both hands free.» We have taken this quote, which is attributed to the writer Hellmut Walters, to heart.

When we take control of a more regular life again, we will do so more wisely.

The itinerary at a glance:

Find out in part 5 how the journey ends and what challenges arriving brings. This will be published in mid-September.