Many students describe their college experience as a constant cycle of running from one thing to the next without much time to slow down and breathe.
With the busyness of day-to-day life, it can be hard for some to take a moment and appreciate the simple things in life.
Students said these are the things that make their life the sweetest. With society’s fast-paced culture, students said only some make it a priority to fully slow down.
“It really hit me how fast things are,” junior Emily Luong said. “There really isn’t time to just be. I want to have something that’s entirely dedicated to being slow.”
Prioritizing Minimalism
Luong studied abroad in Buenos Aires her sophomore year, and when she got back, she and her friend, junior Natalia Grogan, decided they wanted to start a business focused on simple living.
Luong and Grogan said they dream of buying a Sprinter van, converting it into a home and selling coffee out of it.
“We wanted to do a mobile coffee shop around the U.S. in a van, but while spreading the love of Jesus,” Luong said.
While in B.A., Grogan said she and Luong had time to meet new friends on the streets and in local shops, and the experience of getting to know their new home simply through taking the time to explore it little by little sparked inspiration.
“I met so many people in the city, just because everyone has that time between things,” Luong said. “You just meet people walking from place to place and actually become friends.”
The “hustle culture” became more apparent to them upon returning to the U.S., and they said they realized they had no time to be still.
Grogan said she tries to simplify her life by pursuing a minimalist lifestyle — a practice she is beginning before moving into a van.
“I love minimalism — it’s my favorite thing,” Grogan said. “If you see my closet right now, you’d think I don’t have any clothes.”
The Van Life
Resident Director Daniel Ramli has a similar desire to live simply, and he said he recently decided to buy a van and convert it into a home for him and his wife.
Ramli said he bought a van in May and spent the summer and weekends converting it. His latest task was finishing the electrical portion of the van — something he said he learned how to do on “YouTube University.”
“It’s been a really fun learning process,” Ramli said.
So far, Ramli has been taking the van on weekend trips, but once it is fully converted, he said he wants to fully move into it and travel across the U.S. for at least a few years. Although there are challenges that come with the van life, he said he is looking forward to the entire experience.
“We won’t even have a shower in the space — so we’ll have to get creative,” Ramli said.
While Ramli said he doesn’t consider himself extremely “simple” right now, he is working on embracing that lifestyle more.
“At this point, it definitely doesn’t feel like simple living because we live in an apartment,” Ramli said. “And then we spent a ton of money on the van and are spending a ton of money on the whole conversion process. So right now, it doesn’t feel simple.”
The process of converting the van and anticipating living in it has allowed him to reconsider the purchases he makes and how he can lead a lifestyle focused less on clutter and more on a peaceful state of mind, he said.
He said he and his wife have been prioritizing simplicity by recognizing that material items are not important in the long run — especially when they move into a van.
“We do like the idea of living off of not as much and not trying to fall into the consumerist mindset of more and more,” Ramli said.
Prioritizing Simplicity
Sarah Cunin, a Malibu resident who started the Gan Malibu Preschool, said she is mindful about engaging in simple living in her day-to-day life, even if that just means taking a few minutes every day to spend time in nature.
“It’s nice to just know nature is your best friend,” Cunin said.
Cunin has lived in Malibu for 25 years and is raising her kids here in the oceanside town. She said Malibu is a place where she feels her family can stay involved with their activities while also welcoming rest and relaxation.
“We definitely take advantage of the beauty of Malibu and hiking around Malibu,” Cunin said.
Another blessing about the coastal city is that having to stay home and “be bored” can be fun on its own accord, she said.
“Malibu is not a bad place to be stuck, stay home,” Cunin said. “I have a beautiful ocean view. I’m very happy to be just at home or just on our patio and relaxing.”
Senior Natalie Alderton said the same — she finds the most simple moments when she is outside, especially when she is surfing.
“There’s something about it that is still and peaceful,” Alderton said.
She also prioritizes making a conscious effort to appreciate the simplicity of life while taking time out of her busy schedule to be in nature, she said.
“The way to truly be immersed in it is when you’re on the trail and you’re going slow enough that you can see everything around you and you can stop and look at the tiniest little wildflower or you can look up at the views around you,” Alderton said. ”Your progress with the landscape is slowly transformed.”
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Email Abby Wilt: abby.wilt@pepperdine.edu.
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