Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Anna's Essentials

“Surrounded by zucchini and nature, it’s easy to forget about how much you miss the Internet and hot water”


The minimalist lifestyle, appealing to some only when in the process of moving, is a very rational solution to our society’s strong dependence on “stuff”. Admittedly, my house is quite cluttered, although I suspect I could scale down significantly with minimal tears. I’ve spent summers digging in the garden of a summer cottage with no indoor plumbing, and I’m still going strong. Without the following ten items, however, I suspect I’d be in worse shape.

  1. Coffee beans
  2. A tea kettle
  3. Access to radio
  4. A comb—I’m a champion at getting windblown hair. Even indoors!
  5. Extra pens and pencils
  6. Food and treats for my precious hens and cats
  7. Lemons for tea
  8. Indoor slippers
  9. A phone or camera, mainly to snap pictures of cool plants.
  10. A solid pair of running shoes.

Trending