In the book, Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, he told the story of his own life living minimalistic alongside a pond called Walden Pond. Thoreau moved to a small cabin near Walden Pond, on land owned by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts. He talked about living a life of simplicity, where one reduces material possessions and distractions in order to focus on what's truly important. He talked about importance of independence and self-sufficiency. He built his own cabin, grew his own food, and lived on a small budget, and so, demonstrated the power of self-reliance. Throughout the story, nature is a central theme. Thoreau drew on his daily observations of the natural world to reflect on deeper philosophical questions. He wanted his readers to consider how they spend their time, arguing that the value of life is not found in material wealth or productivity but in mindful, purposeful living. In general, the book Walden challenges the notion that more possessions or success equate to happiness or fulfillment.

The idea of minimalistic living was much easier to embracein the mid-1800s than it is today. Back then, people lived with far fewer material distractions, and the simplicity Thoreau preached was more in line with everyday life for most people. It wasn't as much about minimizing in the modern sense as it was about rejecting a life of excess and returning to a more natural, self-sustaining existence.

In Thoreau's era, most people lived in rural settings or small towns, and the idea of stripping away unnecessary things to live more deliberately didn't require rejecting consumer goods like smartphones, internet, and modern entertainment—it was about simplifying daily tasks, reducing reliance on others, and reconnecting with nature. For Thoreau, it was less about fighting an overload of modern conveniences and more about slowing down and reflecting on what really mattered.

Today, minimizing can feel like a rebellion against the fast pace of digital society, constant consumption, and constant noise. The challenge lies in how ingrained these distractions are in modern life, making a Thoreau-style retreat much more difficult for many people to achieve.

That said, Thoreau's message still resonates with us today—especially in the context of digital minimalism or finding ways to reduce the noise in our own lives.

In some ways, I am living this minimalist lifestyle—everything I own in the world fits in my backpack. I guess you can say I've minimized just about as much as a person can. I have lived in small apartments or 'habitaciones' (basically an apartment that is the size of a hotel room) for years, and learned how to deal with such small living arrangements. For me, now it's just normal. When I rented a two-bedroom apartment in Encarnacion, Paraguay, I never used the second bedroom. I had no use for it. Now, here in Barranquilla, Colombia, I'm in a small habitation, a bedroom and bathroom with a shared kitchen, but it's actually in a great place - it's quiet, birds, cats, squirrels, a water feature that is always in the background.

Nowadays, when people think about minimizing they often think that it means leaving the city behind, but for most that's not practical. I think that today we can minimize and still stay in the city, as I have, but when Thoreau did it he left the city, I imagine he felt he had to in order to live that lifestyle.

Thoreau's choice to retreat to the woods was as much a response to the societal pressures and materialism of his time as it was a philosophical pursuit. By removing himself from the urban environment, he could more easily detach from the distractions and complexities of modern life, which was the way to embrace simplicity.

Today, with urbanization at such a high level and the modern conveniences available to us even in the smallest spaces, it's much easier to minimize while staying within the city. For many, minimizing doesn't mean escaping to the woods—it means finding a way to live intentionally with less, even amidst the distractions of urban life. Cities offer conveniences, access to culture, and the ability to stay connected, all while maintaining a simpler lifestyle in a smaller living space.

It's a different kind of balance, one where minimalism is more about choice and efficiency, rather than a physical escape from society. The challenge today is navigating modernity while striving to retain that Thoreauvian clarity of purpose.

Am I there? Well, I believe I'm close, but since I'm still in the city, no, I'm not to that level. If and when I find myself living in a tiny cabin in the woods, then I'll know I made it to that Thoreau lifestyle.