For whatever reasons, I find writing intimidating… Especially when writing for a potential audience. But here I am and I’m diving in!

The thing that changed for me tonight, to actually make me begin writing, was to stop worrying about how other people fit into the equation and just start doing it, even if it’s only for myself to begin with. I’ve been overthinking it, and this is new to me so of course I can’t know what I have to offer that will interest people yet. I would be incredibly grateful if anyone does read my stuff, and hopefully I have something to offer you!

I’m terrible at self-anecdotes, but here is a little about me. I am a 26 year old Australian lass and you can call me LoLi, or my handle @minimalist if you prefer. At the start of 2017 I made the decision to become a mature-aged student and work my way towards medical related degrees, whilst trying to find a way to opt-out from the status quo.

I grew up in Brisbane and have spent the last few years moving around the country ending with staying in Hobart Tasmania for 3 years. (Moving a lot is one inspiration for the desire to become a minimalist!) Last November I moved back to Brisbane with my then fiancé and shortly thereafter became single, getting screwed over in more ways than one. It never ceases to shock me how low people sink when it comes to money (something we are told to believe has value). He was a dick, so I’m happier for it in the long run.

(I’m trying to learn my way around cryptocurrencies as a total computer noob, after following The Dollar Vigilante for nearly a year now.)

Perhaps I will get the last laugh in a few years, though that would be far from my mind by then. I just want to focus on getting to my healthiest version of myself and finding my calling… and what better platform to share that on than Steemit?

I have many ideas that I want to bring to life and share with you here. Many ideas have been swimming around in my brain for months while waiting for my mid-year break to begin (and then procrastinating from doing it when it finally arrived). Here are a few of the things I want to dive into with you over the coming weeks, months, and beyond! If any of these are of particular interest to you let me know! I want to open discussion on these topics and find like-minded people as they can be so hard to find.

Minimalism
My ongoing journey into minimalism (if my handle doesn’t give that away). I’m passionate about being organised and having little visual clutter. Being organised is one of the biggest struggles for most people in today’s world where capitalism and consumption are king, and even those of us from poorer backgrounds have too much “stuff”. I want to share projects, strategies, inspiration, budgeting, philosophies and more, as well as connect with others on the same mission.

Breast Reduction Journey
Recently I underwent a large breast reduction surgery from a J cup down to a D cup. Leading up to my operation I couldn’t find much information and photos, particularly in the nerve wracking few weeks of post-operative recovery. I want to candidly share this ongoing experience with the ups and downs, which I hope will be reassuring for others considering the procedure or going through their own post-surgery complications. Plus I am dying to show off new bra and swimsuit purchases!

Tiny Houses and Self Reliance
The last two passions of mine that I truly hope I can develop an online (maybe even offline) community around are the Tiny House Movement and, for the lack of a better term right now, communal homesteading. Since I was a little girl I was drawing floorplans for dream houses that my generation was told we could one day afford, because “we can do anything we put our minds to”. As I grew older that transferred into an obsession with all of The Sims games, building and decorating for hours at a time with no actual gameplay. Then adulthood and the real world came knocking telling me that it doesn’t quite work out that way, the harder and smarter you work, the bigger the pay off. cynical eyeroll When I discovered the Tiny House Movement and my passion for interior design and architecture was reborn. Through learning about the movement I was seeing more and more of these tiny house communities where food was grown on site, environmental sustainability was core and people worked together in a long lost art of being part of a community, yet still retaining independence, privacy and freedom.

That’s about it for now until I bring you my first few posts and get inspired to explore new things to enjoy and perhaps share. This has become a lot longer than I intended for an introduction, but I told you I was diving in ;) Thank you so much for your time if you have gotten this far… I hope we can share our journeys together.

xx LoLi