Dear reader,

As I haven’t settled in London yet, I’m undergoing through a process of learning how to live out on nothing but essentials. Being kind of sympathetic minimalist, I was looking forward to the idea of living out of a suitcase and found it immensely fun packing nothing but essentials. So now I have one suitcase (medium size), one rucksack (medium size) and a big handbag. This is currently my “everything”.

The places I’m currently staying at, have no common room, not even kitchen. So I actually need very little toiletries, a night dress and flip flops, travel towel and a place with stable wifi. Oh, and a power bank, always a power bank if you are working online.

Why am I telling you this? Because it relates to the belief, that we need a lot in order to feel the way we want to feel. For instance, “I need to have a steady job which will pay £3,000 pcm, before I could finally be independent”. Or “I need to lose 10 lbs before I can start feeling pretty”. Or “I need to buy this new superfood, before I can start feeling good”. There is always something, before something else can happen. You get the picture.

Living out of a suitcase is a nice way to remind you this is not true. Even though I have only three bags, there is about half of the clothes I haven’t even worn yet. And doubt I will. So in case I will not, I will donate it. Yet however, I catch myself buying little things on the way, be it a cute shampoo bottle I don’t need, or a pack of cashews I won’t eat. Just “in case”. Or “for later”.

This comes from feeling like there’s something missing. Like I’m not enough already. That I need to compensate. Secure things. Take care, save, plan for the future. Yet life doesn’t seem to work that way. It is unpredictable. Yet it always somehow works out.

Now that I don’t have my own place to work, I spend much time outside in places where the main criteria is stable wifi. And today my roommate, a beautiful Greek girl, invited me over to a place she’s currently working at. I went there and she brought me a gigantic mug of coffee. She’s given it for free and it was one of the best coffee I ever had. Not because I’d usually have bad coffee, but because she provided it with care. And because I let her. So she took care of my comfort, warmth and wellbeing, while I was on Skype with Bulgarian organisation, for which as a part of their international project, I’ll come and deliver a 2-day training and a public lecture on Solution Focused Practice in April in 2019. So this will be my contribution to make this world a nicer place. And it partly happened, because I let my roommate took care of me.

It is nice to know we are looking after each other. With small acts of kindness. We are in this together. And not being imbued with thinking what else I need to buy, accomplish, secure, protect, carry with, it allows freedom I have never imagined. However it is not easy let others take care of us. At least it wasn’t to me, enjoyable as it is.

Insecurity is a freedom with a high price.

So here goes, with much love,

Biba

London Mona Lisa?