How to travel light
When you’re going on vacation, or thinking about your life journey, the approach is the same
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” - Antoine de St. Exupery
Larry and I have traveled quite a bit. Around the world, and through the different chapters in our lives. We are in our 50s and 60s after all. We got together after our kids grew up, so between the two of us, our life travels (and travails) are wide ranging.
Together, we have come to love airports, which, when you think about it, are places that aren’t really places.
They are neutral hubs - transitional spaces - that can take you anywhere you can imagine going.
These hubs can be met with excitement for the next adventure, trepidation over a big move, or a fear of flying. They can also feel time-consuming and uncomfortable, especially when connection flights and (waiting for) checked luggage are involved. Heaven forbid there are delays or cancellations.
In life, our minds are the hubs that can take us to all the places we can imagine going.
When we’re ready for a different experience, we buy a ticket (we make a decision).
When there isn’t a direct way to our destination, we choose connection flights to get there. These are our stepping stones, and sometimes they’re a little out of the way and can take twice as long, but often they are necessary connections.
Many of our life experiences turn out to be connection flights, and our moments of confusion can feel like long delays.
It helps to be agile when you want to experience the extraordinary.
The more you take with you, the heavier the load, the longer the wait, the more schlepping there is to do, and the more there is to help you slip you back to the familiar ol’.
This is why they say it can be easier to adopt new habits while away from home; you’re pulled out of the familiar habit patterns of home, so it’s good opportunity to embrace new ones.
The most important things you’ll ever need for your journey are your ID, wallet, your reservations, and your sense of adventure. A few more things are helpful, like some toiletries and clothes, but be careful, too much can weigh you down.
Trips are there to offer a change of pace, an adventure, and celebration of the diversities that exist in the world. Not to surround ourselves with and recreate the same things wherever we go.
Baggage
Larry and I don’t check baggage.
Even on the trip that involved flying to four different locations in South America - two cities (Buenos Aires and Santiago), a winery in Mendoza, and Chilean Patagonia - we each took just one carry-on luggage and backpack.
Weather ranged from 40°F with high winds to 85°F, scorching sun, and very little shade. Activities ranged from hiking to lying poolside to walking the city.
The benefit of checking a larger suitcase, of course, is that you get to travel with everything you can possibly need: the shoes, the different purses, the ability to wear an outfit just once, and the security of having all the just-in-cases. Perhaps even a pillow, which I totally appreciate; my pillow is the one thing I wish I had that I never take, and I’ve been wondering if I can make that the one thing that goes into my backpack. We shall see…
Can you travel light if you have children?
Yes, it’s possible. I might even argue that it’s easier on all parties involved to travel light.
When we bulk up on our packing, we end up leaning on the same methods of distractions to keep our kids occupied while we try to enjoy our time away.
Here’s my pushback question: is this a family vacation? Or did you mean to leave the kids at home?
Meals out could be time for kids to learn to be with adults, and for adults to be with kids. There’s no negotiating when there are no props to negotiate about. They are ultimately happier because all they really want is connection with their loved ones.
When my kids were 5 and 1, I checked no bags. I used a carry-on that I can mount on my back to keep my hands free. My 5 year old daughter carried her own adorable mini-sized backpack for the things she cherished (crayons, a small drawing pad, something for her hair, a small hairbrush, a small toy, and a small box of Cheerios. My 1 year old son, with his favorite blanket, sat in his umbrella stroller through the airport, which I maneuvered with my two free hands while my daughter walked right next to us. My fanny pack held the IDs and wallet for easy and secure access, and we never wanted for a thing. Extra diapers would be bought and left behind.
In the end, you’ll need to decide what traveling light means to you, and what experiences you wish to offer your family. But let it be known that it is absolutely possible.
Traveling light is simple living. Simple living is luxury living. Luxury living is mobility. Mobility is freedom.
Living with less baggage means to adopt a mindset of: what do I really need and want, really?
If you’re a writer, you know how important it is to get relentless about cutting out the fat, the number of words you use to make a point, to make your writing more effective. It’s a work in progress, I know that all too well.
It’s the same practice with packing.
Here’s how I pack:
Shoes for hiking when hiking’s in the plan. I wear these to the airport because it takes up too much space in the suitcase.
Lighter walking shoes. It doesn’t matter where I go, I end up walking a lot. This pair needs to be light and comfy. It also has to go with everything else I pack.
One pair of nice shoes for the fancier restaurants; also has to go with all my outfits that need the fancier shoes.
Flip flops if beach or hanging poolside is in the plan.
I choose clothing that can layer for weather changes. I also choose clothing that can roll thin into my backpack. Sweaters take up too much space. Turtlenecks and the right scarf take up less. I make sure each piece interchanges and matches each other. This will give you the look of a different outfit every day.
If possible, I get samples of my favorite lotions and facial cleansers from my favorite department store. They’re always very generous in giving me more than I need.
I save some space (in my backpack usually) for new purchases!
I take my laptop because I continue to do a little work while away.
Here’s everything I packed for this beach vacation to Mexico. Everything gets rolled into my suitcase. The shoes go in the plastic bags. The picture of me is how I travelled through the airport; super comfy for the plane ride. The rolled up sweatshirt is either in the backpack, or I’m wearing it, depending on the temperature of where I’m at.
I pack the things that might have to come out during traveling into my backpack. If I can, I move them over to the suitcase when no longer necessary to be there, i.e. laptop and coat get moved to my suitcase after going through security. I take a coat that can scrunch down to nothing.
If you’re much, much happier having all your things in a larger suitcase or two, and you don’t mind checking and schlepping all of it, I’d say that’s wonderful! We all get to do what works for us. But I do know that some of us wish to have less to schlep around and struggle to do so. For those that do, I hope this provides you with some helpful ideas.
These tips work when you’re home too. You don’t need to leave so much in your car, or have a huge purse to lug everything in. Just take your few things that you’ll need. Cut down on the extras. It’s feng shui of the mind. It clears the clutter. And it’s amazing to be able to move around the Earth not having to keep track of everything, and to travel light.
Love, Savitree
Pack light, travel light, be the light.