Adapt to new circumstances and figure things out

This year, I've had to learn to travel a little lighter. Living a simple life has many advantages, and I feel that one of them is that you become a little more adaptable when circumstances change. So I can say that this whole year, from the beginning until now, I've had to adapt to many changes related to the economy.

This process has never been easy. There are days when I wake up feeling very anxious, thinking about a thousand things I need to do to have a better, more stable source of income. However, due to the situation in the country where I live, this is not entirely possible. So it's futile to spend too many days feeling bad and frustrated, because honestly, I can't fix it.

While I still have some of those days from time to time, I have learned a lot, and one of those things is to figure things out and make do with what I have, because at the end of the day, life is extremely changeable, and I am sure that this will not be the first time I will face such a big change. This year, due to a significant change in the exchange rate between the dollar and the local currency, my husband's and my work would be greatly affected, to the point that we now have much less work and, therefore, less income.

To cope with this big change and travel light, we made some adjustments, such as putting aside for a while those little treats we used to indulge in from time to time, spending money mainly on necessities, and, as I mentioned in another of my posts, taking advantage of seasonal foods. For example, one of the foods that has dropped significantly in price is chicken, so we are taking advantage of eating it while it is still affordable.

Of course, we are not super strict and inflexible, because if circumstances allow and we organize ourselves well, it is always necessary to have a little fun and enjoy ourselves despite everything. So we choose plans that fit our budget and also enjoy different foods from time to time. Something that makes this a little easier for us is that we are not the only ones dealing with this problem, which makes it easy for us, even with friends, to adapt to outings or meals that are not expensive, because in reality, the important thing is to be able to share our company.

This has helped us lighten our financial burdens a lot and travel a little lighter, especially emotionally, which I feel is what affects me the most. On the other hand, unnecessary debt is now prohibited in our home; that is, we are completely avoiding buying on credit or getting into any kind of loan. While we don't know if we'll need it later on, for now our plan is not to get into any of that so we don't have to deal with the anxiety of having debts later on.

Like any change, we're going to need a little time to adapt to the new circumstances. I know that being able to travel light and without so many burdens is a great advantage in helping us adapt a little faster. I feel that if I didn't do this, I could fall into that endless cycle of sadness where, with a negative attitude every day, I only focus on the bad things that are happening to me. Being adaptable on a physical journey is what helps make the journey less exhausting; the same is true in life. Being adaptable to certain circumstances allows us to learn new things, solve problems, and also maintain as positive an attitude as possible in the process.

Yes, I know, I used the word "change" a lot, but it is undoubtedly the word that best defines the countless events that have come one after another (all related to the local currency and the dollar) and that have left us a little disarmed. However, so as not to go on too long talking about each one of them, something that is honestly exhausting because there is already too much talk about it around me, I summed it up in that one word.