are Swiss people born minimal by default?

hehe

i've been meaning to put up some photographs from over the last few days, lots of fun times, fitful bursts of sunshine, adventures in peoples gardens and the like punctuated with occasional stops to keel over and fall asleep from post-exam exhaustion. it seems to be taking a long time to get my energy back. i think most people are the same- this term has been a slow and unrelenting GRIND. you only realise when its over just how tiring its been.

so in the spirit of this, while i'm being lazy and putting off organising and uploading pictures, i've been thinking a lot about clearing off my desk. i've already made that cathartic library visit where you leave back all the exam reading. but my desk is still stained with coffee rings and piled with paper and crap. and mentally its kind of a block, and i've got job applications to fill out, A NOVEL (!) to write, and various books on my list i've been putting off looking at forever.

i think everything in my life right now, from my second-hand shopping habits to my caffeine intake and cereal-induced blood sugar, could benefit from some minimalism. in order to create, there has to be a gap to fill. the rest of your mind needs to be at rest. you shouldnt have to worry about walking straight into a table when you wake up at night in the dark (this isnt actually my fault- my room at Thompson's Lane is fairly small and the college maintenance dept seem to have fulfilled some condition or other that says every room has to have a table and three chairs. the result is clutter and stuff in on top of itself..). i sort of grew up in an anti-minimal home, where everything is treasured but kept way too long and grown dusty in the process.. right ow my room is semi-minimal- lots of odd design objects and a neon jesus, but clean spaces in between. though they could definitely be cleaner (especially now exams are over, and i dont have an excuse..). the beauty of this new obsession is it doesnt involve buying anything, just making the effort to rearrange my room and keep things clean and ordered. what better way to teach myself un-studenty habits now im finished and out in the real world..

cue a list of inspirational guides to a minimalist life and a matching deskspace:

ikeahacker this site is for Swedish furniture aficionados who can't afford their (admittedly low) prices. or maybe the bus fare to said Swedish furniture shop. don't know if there even is an Ikea anywhere near Cambridge, but i was totally enthused by their posts on creating a craft-friendly desk space

unclutterer is a more approachable and youth-targeted Martha Steward. without the blowdry and jail record. i like that this site takes in every aspect of living, decluttering your kitchen, your web browser and everything else inbetween.

minimal student this one is the best! like study hacks by Cal Newport, i wish i had known about this site early on in my degree. everyone needs a but of guidance living away from home, and this site features regular posts on practical stuff- organisation, work/fun balance, finances etc, as well as unpretentious information on Zen living. without looking like a cult or a creepy Tom Cruise-style motivational speaker. i really, really like.

the urban minimalist the diary of someone actually trying to live out the ideals on the previous websites. lets see how far they get.