I’m Grateful to Have LESS This Thanksgiving

Author of Be Ready for Anything and Build a Better Pantry on a Budget online course

A lot has changed for me and for this website over the past year.

We have expanded the website, hiring new writers so we can bring you all the most pertinent news and preparedness content. We publish 12 articles per week now and the site has grown so much from the one-woman show it was just seven years ago.

We have begun publishing PDF books so we can bring you the best preparedness and survival books at a reasonable price. I’m delighted to be able to offer many of our books for free to those who cannot afford them.

And personally, my babies have grown up and begun their adult lives. I can hardly believe those little girls are both living in their own homes now.

And because of this, much of my gratitude this Thanksgiving is for the things I don’t have. This may sound crazy but bear with me.

Here’s what I’m grateful for this year.

Many of the things I’m grateful for are the things I do not have.

I’m grateful not to have a home this year.

That’s right. I’m currently living my nomadic dream life. I’m off gallivanting through Europe, researching collapses, taking photographs, having adventures, climbing mountains, and making the most of my empty nest. I am delighted that I don’t have the expense of a home in the US at this time because this gives me the opportunity to indulge my wanderlust.

I’m grateful not to have a car.

I passed on my car to my youngest daughter before I left, and I am so thankful for no longer having a vehicle. My own two feet are my day-to-day transportation. I’m growing stronger and healthier and I average walking 3-5 miles daily. I lost nearly 20 pounds in my first month in Europe from walking and eating delicious, wholesome food.

I’m grateful that all my belongings fit into 2 suitcases and a backpack.

I sold all sorts of belongings and doled the rest out to my daughters before I took off. My kiddos have my preps and one daughter is storing my beloved books and a couple of boxes at her home. Aside from those things, all of my belongings fit into two suitcases and a backpack. The things I own – clothing, electronics, survival gear, toiletries, etc., weigh 95 pounds.  (I hope to reduce this even more over the next few months.)

It’s really cool to see how little I need to feel reasonably well-dressed and comfortable. I feel so much lighter not being burdened with a million things. It’s a peaceful feeling.

I’m grateful for the ability to live on less money.

It probably sounds like I’m living in the lap of luxury, trotting all over the globe. But actually I’m living on less money than before. Aside from the flight to Europe, life here is not very costly. Food is far less expensive, I walk for transportation, and I don’t have any place to put the stuff I’d normally buy. Renting an Airbnb by the month comes with a hefty discount and when you figure in wifi and utilities, I spend less each month for housing/utilities than I did in the states.

I have had to really shift gears to make this happen but it’s been a great experience.

I’m grateful for the family and friends who supported my dream.

There aren’t words to express how grateful I am for the family members and friends who wholeheartedly supported my dream of living a nomadic lifestyle. You all know who you are.

I love you with my whole heart. It would have been much harder to do this epic journey without your love and support.

I’m grateful for technology.

I know, I know. I write a lot of bad things about tech taking over the world. But as I make this journey, I’m incredibly thankful for the technology that allows me to talk to my kids every day and still be a part of their lives. I’m grateful to be able to work from any place with an internet connection. I’m grateful I can reach the people I love in so many different ways using modern technology.

I’m grateful for the readers of this website.

I feel like those of you who comment regularly and read my emails are family too. We’ve been through a lot of events together. We’ve analyzed them, we’ve prepared for them, we’ve shed tears for the losses of others. I can always count on all of you for words of support when things go wrong in my life. I would not be able to lead the life I’ve led without you. Every time you read one of our articles, you help this website grow bigger and you help us reach more people.

My gratitude to you is boundless. I will continue to work hard to be deserving of your trust and loyalty.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope that you have a wonderful day, spent with people you love in a place that you love. I wish you all the very happiest of days.