Living Simply (click to enlarge)

There were many reasons for us moving to rural Newfoundland --- some of them being (but not limited to)....the warmth of the people, the clear, clean, fresh air, the pace of life, to be away from the busyness that comes with being so close to Toronto......to simplify our lives and uncomplicate them as much as possible.

We lived in a society which was very high paced and high stress. Life was beginning to feel like an out of control merry-go-round spinning around and around that we just wanted to get off.

We contrast that to one of the people we met in Newfoundland. He works enough to earn money for the things he needs --- food, clothes (not designer label either), heat.....the necessities. He doesn't have to spend every waking second working to earn money to buy a big fancy boat or repairing his big house or cleaning his big house or earning money to pay for heat for his big house. No....he spends his time actually enjoying his life...not his stuff.

For us.....we knew what kind of a lifestyle we wanted to lead. It sounds easy enough to do but it has been an adjustment. In some areas, it's been difficult to leave our whole mindset behind while trying to adopt a whole new one. We're making progress though and enjoying the results. We've downsized our house and this fact alone has freed up a lot of time. No more maintaining water softeners, large lawns (which also means buying/maintaining/buying gasoline for a large lawn mower to do all of this), weeding/maintaining big flower beds, cleaning three bathrooms (just cleaning a huge house in general).....the list goes on and on. We've traded our high cost, high maintenance stuff for low cost low maintenance stuff. Instead of spending three hours cutting the lawn, we can use that time to enjoy the ocean and the sights that go along with that, the land, the people, the community.

We still have a way to go though--we're certainly not at that simplest point we can be or want to be....but we're well on our way .......and enjoying the journey there.