Mini is the New Max

Mini the New Max

I'm a minimalist who travels with just two suitcases and a personal bag—one suitcase checked at the airport, the other carry-on friendly. Now, most people downsize slowly over time, but that's not my story. Call it temporary madness or a painful epiphany, but one day I went home, stared at all my things, and felt a deep emptiness. A void. The dopamine hits of buy-buy-buy were crashing hard. Then came a freeing truth: "People aren't that obsessed with you—they don’t care."My new philosophy emerged clearly: if you're going to collect many things, ensure they hold significant value. Many of you reading this know the feeling.

“Carry close only what matters…The rest is baggage.”

Four years ago, I decided to declutter my already jam-packed brain. Why? I was drowning in decision fatigue, masking a shopping addiction as weekly "thrifting" trips. I was overly obsessed with my outer appearance—particularly within university spaces as my academic career grew. (Yes, perfectionist overachiever here, who transitioned directly from university student to faculty in multiple roles—program coordinator, lecturer, community organizer, etc.). I desperately wanted to project an aesthetic of academic intellect to complement frequent conferences, performances, and appearances. The desire to perform academic excellence through materialism is a trap my friends and I knew all too well.

“Performance is just another word for illusion.”

The hardest part of downsizing? Deciding what to keep. I started by asking myself, "If I had to pack all my belongings into my car right now, what would I bring?" That narrowed things down quickly. Seven hours later, I had four massive piles: donation, sell/trade, keep, and trash. The tears and shame came uninvited (cue the ugly cry). The donation pile took three car trips 🥴. The trash pile—double that. The sell/trade pile earned me about $1300—ciao comfy bed, glam desk, “I’m smarter than you” book collection, and literally everything else. The keep pile initially filled two carloads, so clearly, more work was needed. It took another three days to whittle it down to one carload.

Let’s be clear: this process is emotionally and mentally transformative for everyone—it's unavoidable. Downsizing looks different depending on your lifestyle. Freedom has a heavy price; yet ironically, the reward is unmatched liberation.

We often attach ourselves to things because they validate our identity and grant us a sense of self-worth. Eventually, we realize that true enrichment comes from a deeper journey of self-acceptance.

“Denial is a river in Egypt” 😄 – social media

So, there I was with my life packed into my car. My flat lease was ending in two months, perfectly timed with the semester's end and the start of summer. I’d decided, “No more renewing—time for a change.” I mapped out a detailed plan to leave my beloved university city, the place where I'd crafted my first version of "adult me," and move back to my family home four hours away in a smaller beach city. Terrifying. “Such is Change.” The day came—I piled my things into my car and left.

“If you want a new outcome, you must break the habit of being yourself and reinvent a new self.” – Dr. Joe Dispenza

Four years have passed, and my life still remains packable into a car. I'll keep it honest: there have been moments of emotional chaos when I’ve overconsumed and hit full capacity again. Let me tell you—this is completely normal. Life is in constant motion, filled with ups, downs, laughs, and tears alike. You breathe, recalibrate, donate or sell, and reset. Work quickly to return to a sustainable amount of things. For me, that means two suitcases—one large, one small—plus a personal carry-on bag. Your items may shift according to your needs or location, and that's fine. Living minimally doesn’t equal lower quality (perhaps just less clout). Instead, it opens your mind and heart to items that enhance your life, genuinely bring value and joy, and rejects the nonsense. Mini can truly be your new max.

Coming soon: "WHAT'S IN MY SUITCASES" blog, where I'll share the good, the bad, and the juicy details on traveling mini...with a touch of glam.

Thank you for being courageous.