Bare Bones

I have been without my personal belongings for six weeks. And they're not coming back. And you know what, I feel free. I never realized until now how attached I was to my home, furniture, friends, clothes, books, kitchen, even tchotchkes, and how these items defined who I was.


As I traveled 2000 miles from home with my newborn daughter, her car seat and a small suitcase in tow, I was thinking this small cartel would be plenty for one or two weeks. But as one week turned into two and then three, I started to freak out. No stroller. No furniture. No books. 


I didn't have the clothes that made me feel like a "pretty" woman. I didn't have the work station that made me feel like a "productive" entrepreneur. I didn't have the friends that made me feel like I was being supported by a "pillar". I didn't have the Pacific Ocean and beach backdrop that made me feel like a "peaceful" person.

Not having these "things" forced me to discover who I was without anything I could call my own. A few outfits, toiletries, laptop and cell phone. I felt lonely and dull and started to question myself...

Was I a woman because of my stylish clothes, jewelry and shoes? Or did not having any of these things challenge me to refresh my inner beauty and solidify my confidence and from the inside out?

Was I an entrepreneur lazily relying on the connections I'd already built? Or was this exactly the inspiration I needed to start creating, stretch into something new and out of my comfort zone?

Was I happy because of the ocean and friends who shared the same views as me? Or was it time to meet people, travel to new landscapes and learn new things?

Its been two weeks since posing these options and you know what, I've discovered that all I really need is myself and my daughter. That is being bare boned. That is free.