less

i have lived the last year using, and rotating, the same thirteen pairs of underwear.

it has involved a lot of (hand)washing of those little undies, but, to be honest, i haven't noticed.

(beyond the holes and general stretched-out-ness those thirteen pairs now possess.)

but it did provide a physical manifestation of a through-necessity mantra that topher and i have been living by for the past 13 months:

less.

living on $1-$3 a day, rotating the same four skirts and seven shirts at work, and then the same ten tee shirts and three pairs of pants at home, while rocking the same dingy, hole-y thirteen undies has helped me see that in america, i sincerely lived on too much.  bought too many clothes.  ate too much food. spent too much money.

i'd like to maintain my mantra of less when we return next  year.  chris and i have already discussed how to set better boundaries for not going overboard- on eating, on spending, on living- when we come home.  we've both found that we enjoy making things work with less money, with less resources.  it's cliche to say it, but it helps us appreciate it all the more, ya know?

and this has to mean something coming from a girl who proudly owned over 400 pairs of underwear prior to this Cambodian adventure!

(let's be honest- i really miss my wide assortment of undies.  i've been saving ten pair for my second year and it feels.so.good to wear them for the first time.)

(also, i wish i cared less about the two grey hairs i found at my front hairline this morning. i'm not even yet 27, people. tell me i'm not alone.)

thoughts?