Thank you @harvardhomestead for your blog about the thought provoking subject that is #smallisbeautiful, and the invitation to share.

![20180125_191903.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVZuzo6G2aQ5uw2BghpnidZxZb7ojg116asPeFEwMsonr/20180125_191903.jpg)

I have been thinking for days about what this means to me. I have come to the conclusion that we are just at the beginning of this journey.

We moved here nearly 3 years ago after years of barely making ends meet while working way to hard to survive. This may sound dramatic, but we always had at least one utility about to be disconnected or something bouncing in the bank we had to make up for. It gets stressful and we carried a lot of debt.

We downsized a *lot* to move here. It is about 900sq feet less living space. We gave up so many material items....kitchen gear, electronics, toys, books, furniture, clothing and more. Among other things....*personal space.* We lost the help of public transportation and close, convienent stores.

*But we gained so much!*

I traded big city life for a small amount hope. We gained privacy and freedom. We traded extra bathrooms and unused rooms for an abundance of raw land and a chance to connect with it. We gained the right to have livestock and the abundant space to grow our own food. I am finding I am having better success with everything I attempt without all of the extra clutter our old life had.

You know what? This is just the beginning. The need to keep reducing waste, keep purging material items, connect more with nature, to be self-sufficient, to live a more spiritual and meaningful life is calling me. We dream of retreating even further from city life and are saving to have our own land someday. I am craving a small town with a close community....I want to hone our craft and help feed my neighbours wherever we settle. We have lived in the city for so long I did not even realize what my family was missing. We lived surrounded by people yet basically alone.

I feel like there is not much chance for bonding, or to find compassion, help or love when you are caught up in a numbers game. We need a slower pace. I am awakening to a need to strip away the needless layers of my life while adding layers of meaningful substance. I feel like we can make a bigger impact among a smaller number of people. I want to become a part of something bigger by embracing the  #smallisbeautiful mindset. We may not be there yet, but I think we are well on our way.

![Screenshot_20180125-192517.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbkB3fPNi9MSimLceop2GkZ7JhkmR35KXiNus4r1QWo6h/Screenshot_20180125-192517.jpg)

Thank you for reading! Take care of you and yours ❤