The Beauty of Living Simply

As we bounce from house to house, apartment to apartment, I’ve come to love love love living simply. I kind of knew this would happen, but it all comes into relief in this cottage in Greece. 

We’re staying in our friend’s family’s home on the quiet island of Thassos. The island is less than an hour from the mainland near Thessaloniki, but far from the throngs of tourists in Athens, Santorini or Mykonos. 

The house is situated in Sotiros, a hilltop village at the top of the olive grove. We’re perched on the side of the slope, looking out over the seaside community and the Aegean Sea. Sunsets are particularly spectacular. 

So ok, that’s the setting. The house itself is just so simple though. On the first floor is the kitchen and dining table, kept cool by the cellar stone walls. We have a fridge and stove, hot water in the shower, and ceiling fans over our bed. There’s a little wraparound porch to allow extra space to enjoy the view. To access the cottage you must walk along the footpaths to the last house in town. Our friend Dimitri’s family has been working to restore and modernize the house, adding screen windows and new appliances, but it’s still just so simple. We buy a few groceries at a time (careful not to overshop due to the trek to the house) and carry our pared down luggage with just the essentials. 

I keep thinking about moving home, unpacking all the stuff we stowed away in the basement, and can’t really fathom what is there that I need. Sure, it’s nice to have other shoe options or a cabinet full of spices, but I’ve lived without for long enough that I know we truly need nothing else than what we carried into this cottage.