Paris Letters

I just completed reading Paris Letters - One woman's journey from the fast lane to a slow stroll in Paris.

Without being preachy the author Janice  MacLeod describes how she took many of today's practices of minimalism, journaling  and slew of other self discovery tools to centre herself and find clarity in her life.

As she eventually reveals to herself that the rat race isn't for her she sets her eyes on the lights of Paris. Not to vacation but to live there.

A daunting and ambitious notion. But with any goal - they all begin with the first step.  In her case she asked herself - how much would I need to save in order to live for one year without working?

This was followed up by - "where does all my money go now?"  This to me was the most intriguing part of the story. 

The film Fight Club has a line that says
  "the things you own end up owning you".

Janice instead of trying to figure out how to afford the life she currently has while away instead tackles the problem by being subtrative.  "How can I reduce my cost of living so saving enough is more attainable?" 

So begins her relentless attack on her consumerism ways.  She starts to widdle down her belongings. Her goal - she'll be able to pack her belongings into one suitcase.

The rest of the story is just as inspiring.  It's light but has enough substance to make you wonder "what if".  

A good recommendation for anyone looking to make some changes in their life - big or small.