In 2010 my husband decided to leave his chiropractic practice and go back to school. We took a huge leap of faith on what would turn out to be the adventure of a lifetime. We sold our newly-built home and most of our possessions and moved our family of six to a tiny island in the middle of the Caribbean Ocean. This decision was only the beginning of many changes for our family—
Certainly a change in location…
A change in culture…
On the island, we may not have had hot water in the kitchen or access to many of the conveniences of home, but we had the makings of a million memories, and we learned to collect moments instead of things.
In particular, our first Christmas there was “small” in every way compared to what we were used to. A bedraggled little tree, a paltry pile of Christmas gifts, a dozen paper snowflakes as our only decorations. But it was then that we realized how little you really need to make a Christmas you’ll never forget.
Follow Our Story
We’re excited to share more of the every day details from our life on the island of St. Eustatius and to chronicle the shift in values we experienced during this season of our lives.
Our hope is that the lessons we took away from our island adventure will inspire you to live with more purpose and focus on collecting those things that are of most value – moments, not things.
We may not have set out with the goal to simplify, but we experienced the benefits firsthand, and now, years later, we could never turn back. Living with less (stuff!) is a way of life we’ve tried so hard to hold on to since returning from the island.
A Simple Life is a Beautiful Life
Want to learn more about us? Our family’s priorities and some of our take aways from striving to live simpler? These articles are a great places to start…
Erica Martin says
I can’t seem to get the download for the free holiday planner. Can you tell me what I need to do?