I’ve been longing for a trip to Singapore, ever since the one I had booked was cancelled due to the pandemic. I’ve never gone this long without an overseas holiday. Travelling is my thing, I live frugally at home so I can travel as much as possible and at the moment I feel like a part of me is missing. But let us take a step back first to the point of my post.
Last time I was in Singapore (October 2019, that’s right just got one last trip in before the borders closed) I bought a pair of shoes, just a pair of black ballet flats from one of my favourite shoe stores in Singapore. Now, it might not be very minimalist of me to say this, but rookie error I should have bought them in every colour. They are such comfortable work shoes that I have no problems in wearing them all day at the office. So, when we booked the last trip I decided I would buy them in gold (I knew they still had them in stock per their website).
We all know what happened next and I don’t need to go over the border closures again, but this left me without the shoes I was wanting. Yes, wanting. You read that correctly. I don’t actually need these shoes, the shoes I have are technically sufficient. However, I’m sure most people reading this understand me when I explain that they are such comfortable shoes I can’t let them go? They are so soft and I’ve never had a problem with blisters and more to the point they come in my size! I have quite little feet and it can sometimes be difficult to buy comfortable shoes that fit properly, whereas in Singapore shoes come in little sizes and they are plentiful!
This is not minimalist of me at all and I’m sure many people reading this will disagree with my decision, but I ordered the shoes I wanted online to make myself feel better. There, I admitted it. This is in lieu of a physical trip to Singapore. I won’t lie, this is not the same as actually going there, I can’t eat the food I love, drink the drinks that I like, or wander the streets in the beautiful humidity. But in the middle of a pandemic, why shouldn’t I finally order the shoes I was going to buy in person anyway? It’s frivolous and shallow, and definitely not minimalist. It does however give me a glimpse of what once was, of the trip I’ve been longing for and the experiences I’ve been dreaming of.
Stuff is not the answer to everything, it would be wrong to assume that. But just this one time, let me be consumerist, dream a little, and bring a bit of Singapore home.
Have you made any pandemic purchases that remind you of better times?
This is Minimalism 