The month of February was quite an awful one, especially the end of it. I was in a car accident (not my fault, but still insanely annoying). Then my boyfriend's car got broken into and my purse was stolen from it. That is the extremely short version.

Just when I was about to give up on all hope, I received a lovely letter from a great friend (by the way, hand writing letters and sending them snail mail is magnificent in the midst of technology). In the end of the letter, she had told me how she and her friend had decided to make pledge to refrain from buying any and all new clothes for a whole year. I instantly fell in love with the idea. I suppose I've recently been craving more simplicity in my life, especially when it came to the material things.

After spending 7 months of my life in the Philippines, and living/working with/serving the poor, I was sure that when I came back I would no doubt live simply (especially after seeing the people I was surrounded by were so impoverished) perhaps to live in solidarity with the poor people I had befriended. I was certain I would constantly be grateful for what I had, desire less, and remember how little they had but yet how free and happy they were.

Unfortunately, being back in the United States for more than 2 years eventually diminshed all thoughts. I reverted back to the spending habits I once had prior to my Filipino immersion. I would constantly try to justify buying clothes by telling myself how cheap things were and how satisfied I felt because I would get a good deal. The justifications became a gateway drug into spending more, and frequently at that. I know I'm making myself out to sound that I'm a shopaholic, but truth be told, I probably spend no more than the average person.

This no new clothes pledge gave me something tangible to accomplish, thus inherently helping me work towards my goal of living a simpler life, and hopefully allowing me to remember my experience in the Philippines and the things I learned from my time there that I ended up forgetting.

I love shopping and keeping up with the latest indie trends. This certainly is going to be a great challenge. But I'm sticking to what I got for 1 year. Wish me luck!