Shed Project Interview with Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle

What was the impetus for you to sell all of your possessions?

At first, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t carrying too much with me when I started traveling. I liked the idea of traveling so light that my luggage wouldn’t be a consideration when deciding where to stay, where to go, etc. As I started to sell and give stuff away, however, I realized that owning less – not just having less with me – was the way to go if I wanted to be truly aligned with my mentality and philosophy. I’d always leaned toward streamlining processes and activities, so why not my possessions?

How long did this take? Was your decision gradual or sudden?

It ended up taking about 4 months from start to finish, and I was still giving stuff away up until my last moments in LA (I was giving things away as I was being driven to the airport!).

The decision was sudden, but the process was very gradual. If you want to do this kind of thing properly, either realize that you won’t get a very good return on your items right away (this took me a bit of time to come to terms with) and get rid of stuff like you would tear off a bandage, or be very methodical about it, separating everything, taking photos, posting to Craigslist and selling to friends from the get-go.

Keep in mind that it is almost like a full time job to be at home to show people items they’re interested in purchasing all the time, though, and at the end of the day it may not be worth your time to put so much effort into it. We put too much stock in the monetary value of things and it’s hard to remember that the time we spend selling something may be worth more than what we get from selling it. If this is the case, just give it away to a friend who could use it. Karma points!

What were your main fears while you were letting go of your things?

I was afraid that I was making a big mistake and that the whole project would collapse on itself, leaving me without the materials that I would need to start up again.

What were some of the objects specifically that you had a difficult time letting go of?

I had a lot of tech toys – computers, monitors, printers, scanners, camera equipment, etc – and letting go of those things was tough. It was a hobby, and it was where I spent a lot of my money.

I also spent a good deal of time researching which was the best 30″ monitor, which was the best 3/4 camera…those things had value to me beyond their price tag.

Tell us about the word Exile as it relates to you and your website

The word has multiple meanings to me.

First, the idea of being forcefully removed from the standard way of life. To be an exile from the status quo, one must life their life in a different way from everyone else. There are as many ways to do this as there are people, of course, but the idea is to try out different models and figure out what parts should be brought back into your life if and when you decide to return to something more standard (though honestly, after living like this I’m not sure why anyone would want to go back!).

Second, it’s an acronym for ‘EXtreme Lifestyle Experiments.’ It’s not a perfect acronym (where did that ‘i’ come from?!), but that was the thought behind it. In order to remove myself from the life I was living, I knew I would have to pull away from the gravity of that lifestyle as quickly and forcefully as possible and by starting a project based on extreme lifestyle experiments (only owning 50 things, moving to a new country every 4 months, not wearing black for a month, going paperless, etc), I would have the justification (to myself and to others) for doing what I was doing.

Third, I liked the historical baggage that comes with a word like ‘exile.’ It’s loaded with all kinds of meaning, but generally people doing something against the grain to get exiled. If you do something that makes the mainstream folk uncomfortable, you run the risk of being sent away, and that’s the kind of line I wanted to walk.

Do you miss anything from your old life of possessions?

Yes!

I miss my computers. I miss my extensive wardrobe. I miss my rice maker and refrigerator and fire engine red leather couch. I miss always having the right cords and adapters on hand. I miss my books and my big comfortable bed and my clean-cut image.

That being said, I wouldn’t trade what I’m doing now for any of that stuff. Starting Exile Lifestyle was the best decision I ever made.

What is the biggest payoff (s) for being a nomad?

The cost of living is lower than living a sedentary lifestyle many places. You get to meet a constant stream of new and amazing people. There’s no faster way to learn about the world and really retain the information (all practical knowledge, by the way…not just facts and figures).

Every time you move to a new place, you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself. I don’t mean faking an accent or going by a different name (though those are options). What I mean is that you are instantly able to apply what you’ve learned to your life without worrying about good-intentioned family and friends keeping you from doing so.

When you stay in one place, other peoples’ perception tends to keep you from making any major changes. They don’t do it intentionally, but people tend to gravitate toward the status quo when left to their own devices, and they like to keep their world (including you) in little manageable boxes. You may not change your haircut because you’ve ALWAYS cut your hair a certain way, and what would people think?! You may not change your job because it’s so unseemly to risk your comfortable existence on something so fickle.

When you travel, you can change hourly if you like. You meet people and can build strong relationships, but because you don’t see them every day, it’s much easier to take what you’ve learned and put it into practice immediately, leading to much faster personal evolution.

When your readers vote for your next place to live, is there any initial fears? How do you deal with that?

There’s always the fear that I’ll end up someplace truly horrific and smelly and terrible, but at the same time there’s a part of me that WANTS that kind of adventure. I’m happiest when I’m experimenting and being challenged and exercising my ability to fit in wherever I land and make a life for myself (and give back) to whatever culture I wind up exploring.

A really terrible place would be a grand adventure AND a challenge..to find the diamond amidst the rough.

What is the first thing you do when you step off the plane into an unknown place?

First I look for familiar icons, colors, etc. Bathrooms are always recognizable, and certain types of businesses are the same, if you know what you’re looking for (certain types of stock photography, for example, can be found on banks all over the world).

My goals before leaving the airport are: get around $150 USD worth of local currency, find 2 potential places to stay for 2 nights (writing down the address), get a bite to eat and something to drink, and use the bathroom.

Having local cash makes it easier to make a few mistakes (if you buy the wrong ticket or pay too much for a taxi, you’ll live) and allows you to get some local food before leaving the airport (which is great, because you never know what will be available near where you’re staying, or if anything will even be open, depending on the day and time you arrive).

Finding 2 places is important, just in case you aren’t able to call or if one fills up before you get there. Writing the address down is great if you’re in a country with a language you don’t speak – you can just show the address to the taxi driver (and passersby, if necessary) and they’ll help you get where you need to go.

Always use the bathroom when you have the opportunity. For me, it’s kind of a transition thing: when I have reached a new step on a trip, I go to the bathroom, wash my face, brush my teeth if possible, and then I’m fresh and ready for a new set of challenges.

Do you have a spiritual path, and if so, can you share it with us?

I’m not a particularly spiritual person, but I am a Humanist, which means that I essentially believe that we’re all human first and all the stuff we use to divide ourselves up (race, religion, nationality, gender, etc) are just icing on the cake. The icing may be delicious, and really add to the whole presentation (and it’s nice to have variety), but we are all cake, each made the same way and deserving of respect.

I’m also a big believer that no one should live for anyone else and you should take care of yourself first, but if you produce an excess (or anything: money, energy, knowledge) then sharing it with everyone else (so those who haven’t been able to provide for themselves yet) is a great way to help the human race as a whole get to the next level.

What is the next level? I’m not sure, and anyone who says they are is probably lying or trying to sell you something (or both), but I’d sure like to help us get there.

Colin Wright’s full bio can be seen at http://exilelifestyle.com/about/