I’m living in a Toyota Prius. (Photo chronicle of The Freedom Tour Part 1.)

TFT_badge_150x150The Freedom Tour has officially begun. I hatched the idea for this indefinite road trip to explore, teach, and inspire people to create freedom in their lives back in September. Four months later, I’m living in a Toyota Prius I’ve named Zoe. I’ve just driven 2300 miles from Buffalo, NY and as I write this I’m pulling into Phoenix, AZ. (More on the first leg of journey later.)

I spent the last four months letting go – of my apartment in Manhattan, my furniture, about two thirds of my wardrobe, all but about fifteen books, and, most significantly, my life as I know it.

I emailed my friends, posted on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog and told them to come take my stuff. As I watched my belongings walk out of my apartment in the arms of some of my favorite people I felt a combination of panic and excitement. To soften the panic I decided to make a rule that anyone who came and took my stuff had to have their picture taken with the pieces of me that were going to go live with them.

Here they are:

What remained of my belongings was packed in a Budget moving van…

…while I said goodbye to my now relatively empty apartment…

…and then drove to Maine in the snow for 9 hours with my delightful co-pilot, Danielle…

…and landed temporarily at my mom’s house in Maine.

Here’s what remained of my stuff when I got to Maine…

…and here’s what I didn’t take on the road with me and put in storage. It looks kind of lonely in there with all of that empty space.

I gotta say, it feels good to not really own anything of much significance as far as surface area and volume go.

Now instead of living in here…

…I live in here.

Join me for the first official stop on The Freedom Tour in Southern California for three events, one in San Diego, one in Orange County, and one in Los Angeles. Details are all HERE.

There’s far more to tell of my travels and musings but for now, after traversing fifteen states and more than 2600 miles, its time for this road tripper to sleep.

The journey begins…

6 comments

  • I love what you’re up to and can’t wait to hear more. I can SO relate to the thrill–but also fear–of giving away so much stuff. Good for you! Love what you do! xo

  • Very cool story here Kate! I love seeing how people use the Prius, but this is definitely a new use of it. Can’t honestly say that I’ve ever seen someone live it. I’m intrigued and about to read the rest of the story!

  • I found your site while searching for information on living in a Prius. I have to say that getting rid of the stuff you really don’t need is tough. I have tried and was semi-successful, but I have a long way to go. Why is it so tough to part with material possessions? It certainly does require that you change the way you look at your life and the things in it.

  • I got rid of everything when I moved to Australia in 2011. Did not bother me one bit as the expense of moving all that stuff would soon use up its worth. Now I’m coming back to San Diego I can start anew. And fresh….

  • Gary

    Wow, cool! Is that Moby scoring a teletubby?

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