Omnia mea mecum porto. – Cicero

All the stuff I own fits in a carry on backpack. I mean this literally: there is nothing else in this universe that belongs to me (except perhaps my own physical body).

It wasn’t always like this.  I used to spend countless hours per week at second-hand bookstores. My personal library had over 3,000 books. During the year I spent as a graduate student at the University of Toronto, I bought so many books that, when it was time for me to leave the country, I had to have them shipped to Oxford in a cargo container. The whole operation cost me more than a thousand dollars, and much stress and anxiety. In retrospect, it seems clear that owning all this stuff was a major liability, but at the time I was like the character in Bertrand Russell’s Autobiography who, when asked whether he would destroy the world if he had the power to do so, replied: “What? Destroy my library? — Never!”

My attitude to stuff began to change when I read Paul Graham’s essay three years ago. Since then, I have become increasingly aware of the virtues of minimalism.  And now that I’m a digital nomad, I have developed an aversion to the very idea of standing in a relation of ownership to parts of the world.

There are people out there who advocate minimalism for ideological or philosophical reasons, such as anti-capitalism or asceticism.  For me, however, living with less stuff is all about having more fun.

When my friends learn I own so little, they become curious. They want to know which things I have eschewed, and which I can’t do without. The list below is an exhaustive inventory of all my worldly possessions. To give as accurate a picture as reasonably possible, I adopted a rather fine-grained and inclusive criterion of object individuation. Thus, I count each credit card or supplement as a separate item, and include even food that I don’t immediately consume.

Clothing

1. T-shirt
2. T-shirt
3. Shirt
4. Shirt
5. Boxer briefs
6. Boxer briefs
7. Pair of socks
8. Pair of socks
9. Jeans
10. Belt
11. Blazer
12. Coat
13. Boots
14. Tango pants
15. Tango shoes
16. Towel
17. Cap

Accessories

1. Ring
2. Necklace

Electronics

1. Laptop
2. Laptop charger
3. Smartphone
4. Micro SD card
5. USB to micro-USB cable
6. Headphones
7. Fitbit
8. Fitbit cable
9. Electric shaver
10. Universal adapter

Cards

1. Credit card
2. Credit card
3. Credit card
4. Credit card
5. Debit card
6. Student card
7. Driver’s license
8. Frequent flyer card
9. Frequent flyer card
10. Metro card
11. Metro card

Documents

1. Italian passport
2. Argentine passport
3. Birth certificate

Containers

1. Backpack
2. Small backpack
3. Ziplock bags
4. Water bottle
5. Supplement organizer
6. Dental guard container
7. Card holder
8. Travel wallet
9. Headphone case

Sleep aids

1. Eye mask
2. Ear plugs
3. Dental guard

Utensils

1. Bowl
2. Fork/spoon
3. 1 tsp measuring spoon
4. 1 tbsp measuring spoon

Toiletries

1. Shampoo
2. Conditioner
3. Deodorant
4. Cologne
5. Toothbrush
6. Toothpaste
7. Dental floss
8. Nail clipper
9. Razor
10. Sunscreen

Pills, creams & potions

1. Vitamin D3
2. Vitamin B12
3. Phosphatidylcholine
4. Iodine
5. Lithium
6. Menatetrenone
7. Taurine
8. Acetyl-L-carnitine
9. Beta-alanine
10. Amineptine
11. Tetrinoin
12. Tazarotene
13. Ferulic acid
14. Melatonin
15. Nicotine gums
16. Caffeine pills
17. Secret pill
18. Another secret pill

Edibles

1. Green tea bags
2. 100% dark chocolate
3. Nut mix
4. Flax seed
5. Olive oil

Stationery

1. Pen
2. Marker

Misc

1. Xaphoon
2. Cash
3. AAA battery
4. Mom’s flat keys
5. Dad’s flat keys
6. Dave’s flat keys

With thanks to James Evans and others for useful discussion.