Why did I become a minimalist?

The simple answer to this question is that I didn't choose minimalism, minimalism chose me. I know it sounds cliche, but it's true!

Let me explain. I've always been a tidy person though not in an obsessive way (at least that's what I think!) Now, after my marriage, I moved in with my husband in an one bedroom apartment and all our stuffs started to literary pile on in one single room! There's not much tidying to do if the room is just full of...things! I mean what should I do with the items strewn all over the floor? 

After my huge epiphany in January, I thought I should officially go minimalist as it will also help with my financial situation. But things were pretty complicated as because I was completely broke, had no permanent job, and if I ever managed to secure any locum duties, the schedule was extremely erratic, some duties ran continuous twenty four to thirty six hours while sometimes I didn't had any shifts for weeks. While searching for jobs and studying for upcoming exams (apart from being depressed and moping in my room alone for days) I tried to sort things out. But that wasn't happening as I planned... I just couldn't reduce the junks from my home. 

One of the major facts about minimalism is keeping items that give us joy. Now when I open my closet, none of my items gave me joy...nor I'm excited at all to wear any of them. Though they were purchased from popular fashion brands of my country, all of them are faded, frayed or torn with loose threads hanging from them...that too only after a single of couple of uses. So I decided to dump at least some of them and really invest in some good clothes and spent my last bit of savings on them. 

While packing for my new job abroad, my baggage allowance was 37 kg. I didn't had enough cash to buy new suitcase. So I used my old one which itself was a huge 8 kg (cheap chinese brands, what else to expect!). I managed to buy another small one weighting 3 kg. So, among my 37 kg, 11 kg was only the luggage weight. There was not much left after I put in my new clothes, few books and the bare minimal of toiletries. I filled the rest with ovenproof containers and spices & herbs of local cuisine which I knew would be expensive in my new workplace. The rest of things were left alone because there wasn't any space left. 

And that's all that I brought with me. I only hoped to God that when I arrive at my new home in another city, I'll be able to make things work with what I have, may be I'll buy one or two new things...electronics probably...but that will be it. I won't be able to buy tons of things and hopefully my life will be minimalistic by default!