On traveling simply and purchasing less

For most of my life, vacation has been synonymous with "splurge." Vacation was always when we bought special things, got to eat out more often, and spend more money on experiences than we normally did.

But now that I'm on an extended working vacation, I'm having to rethink that definition. We're living in a 19-foot travel trailer for three months, and don't have much room for impulse buys. 

Quality, necessity, and small are the name of the game these days. When I went to the Pendleton Woolen Mills, quality and necessity meant it made sense to buy a couple of blankets. There have been a couple of yarn stores along the way that have had exactly what I needed, when I needed it. 

But sometimes, you find yourself in a new yarn store and don't really need or want to buy any yarn. That was the case last week when I found myself in Tangled Yarns. It was a lovely shop, but I've been hard at work on the Noro blanket and didn't need any more yarn.

What I did want, however, were these two shawl pins, made by a local artisan. I bought one warm color and one cool color, since I figured they would go with the majority of my shawls. Both are lovely, and don't take up too much space in the camper, which is a must.

A little splurge, yes, but a meaningful one. I've found that this trip has been the best teacher I've ever had in living more simply. It means that each purchase is more meaningful and more thought out than previous ones. Shopping for the sake of shopping can still be a fun experience, but it doesn't have to result in overspending.

I'm excited to wear these pins with my shawls, only I realized as I was buying them that I didn't bring a single scarf or shawl with me on our trip. What was I thinking?! I guess I'd better get knitting!
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xx,

​Pamela