My life in a suitcase

As I told you before, the first time I came here I had these two suitcases with some summer clothes, sandals and a pair of light coats. It was wintertime. The snow would cover the entire balcony while I stared at the mountains from the inside, both hands holding a cup of tea, feet freezing in flip-flops.

Yes, I was freezing, but I was happy and in the next years I created the “rule of the two suitcases” (later turned into the “one suitcase rule” after the air companies changed their baggage limits) or simply the "freedom rule".

It consists in owning (or needing) just the right number of things that can be can carried in one 23kg suitcase and one 10kg hand luggage. Everything else you may buy or borrow to try having a normal city life – maybe from some other practitioner of the “freedom rule” –must be resalable or renegotiable.

So here it comes some tips:

First of all, you cannot be fashionable if you plan to be a hermit. Choose carefully those 7 to 10 shirts you really can use with anything else. If you can’t leave behind that gorgeous wardrobe you built along your life, at least choose the ones that are going to give you a style, so you can be an 80’s hermit or, most common, a hippie hermit. All the other fabulous stuff you’ve been collecting can be stored at your base place (see item bellow).

Find a base place! It can be a garage at your brother’s, your old room at your mom’s house, your best friend's basement or a simple box over your sister’s closet, but it must be easily achievable from wherever you are. That’s where you should leave the stuff you can’t give up, but don’t really need. You could let your old boy(girl)friends' love letters, the only piece of furniture you ever bought ‘cos you liked it, your teddy-bear collection, or just an empty spot, in case you ever need it. Some supporters choose having more then one base place but be careful: don’t spread your belongs all over the planet unless you don’t care if you are going to see them again. Trust me.

Get connected with others like you! They look like they have no perspective in life. They sound completely lost. They appear to be confused: they are you in the future! This kind of person can be very useful during the whole period you decide to be a freak, I mean, a person with no perspective who sounds completely lost and very confused. Economically they can save your ass at a moment when you need an apartment and some furniture, exactly because they need to replace their stuff and find a new renter for their house. And they can also be a good source of well-researched information because they will know of many cheap places to find food, and low cost options for everything. Anywhere can be a good place to meet one of this species, but try especially on “craigslist” and languages courses for beginners.

And last, but not least important: DO NOT create roots! It’s really easy to make your best friends and find the love of your life once you decide to hug the world. Remember: you are just passing by, when you leave again your are gonna leave everyone and everything. That amazing guy who found you work and told you how cool the city could be. That beautiful girl who studied with you and made you laugh about a strange culture you’re now in. Your favorite park, your favorite bar, your favorite black jim gallery.

If you follow each of these simple rules I guarantee you’ll succeed in the “freedom rule,” but you’ll probably miss breaking your heart at every good-bye.