Traveling Light: A Whole New Way of Life
I love to travel.
With travel comes packing and the way you pack can have a big or small impact on your entire experience. I have a few trips in the next few months and it has me thinking of how to pack!
You may be fond of driving your car, more than you like riding on a bus. You may be a frequent holiday goer, a weekend warrior or someone who just randomly picks a holiday booking service. Maybe you save money all year in the hopes of getting the best deal to go on a luxury cruise to Hawaii, on one of those wonderful big ships.
Whatever your preferred method of travel is, one thing is certain – traveling light has become the desired mode of travel today.
At least, for me–I don’t like lugging around too much while I travel.
Experienced travelers – those whose work demands it, or those who just have an adventurous spirit and like to move around – know how to pack light. Everything you’ll need during your journey can fit in one quality suitcase or an excellent hiker’s backpack. The key to traveling light is recognizing your true needs.
What do you really need?
Will you really need a nail manicure set on your holiday or do you really need 10 dresses for 10 days of summer fun?
The pace of our modern lives and the greater distances we cover every day demand that we get accustomed to carrying only the necessary items with us, to avoid the hassle of hauling heavy luggage everywhere we go.
One of the first movies to address this issue was maybe “Up in the Air”, with George Clooney who points out the advantages of traveling light. He even makes a little joke about the Japanese travelers who very expertly carry only the most necessary items and are thus less burdened not only physically, but mentally as well. It looks like knowing how to pack is already an invaluable skill.
Traveling light is necessarily becoming a whole new way of life that helps modern people get used to the speed of living today. This is a way to be practical, to be free of the concrete material stuff that keeps setting us back. It is a way to be faster, and to have a totally different sense of freedom when you travel unencumbered.
A few ways to travel light would be to roll your clothes, use cloth handbags that you can fold up and think about outfits that you’ll really need and that are versatile.
With Conference season just around the corner–how do YOU pack?
Do you travel light or do you over pack?
Let me know, til next time–cheers m’deres!
Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
I pack everything but the kitchen sink. And I'd take it too if I could fit in the my suitcase!
Great post! I'm a seasoned traveller. LOVE jet-setting. Even took Little One to the Philippines a few months ago. I tend to pack light, with the necessities and also be prepared for unexpected things too. Packing lightly didn't work for me last SCCTO though! LOL! I packed only one carry on for the weekend and didn't realize just how much SWAG there was going to be! I had to buy a new suitcase just for the swag. Too funny!
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I am officially an over-packer, I need help like this….
My recent post Today Is My 10 Year Anniversary – Tin? Are you Kidding Me?
I think traveling light is an art. One that I need to improve, I try but traveling with 4 kids has made me a just in case packer. For myself I love packing light and leaving more room for goodies. 🙂
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First I can not wait to meet you, Nancy! Last year I took way too many clothes, this year I am going to pack much more carefully.
I usually travel pretty light and re-wear what I can. When I pack for my kids though I pack a ton because they ALWAYS seem to spill on their clothes when we are out of town and far from a washing machine!
Kerrie
Family Food and Travel
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I pack too much usually – but I'm darn glad I ready your post because I just realized that in packing for SCCTO (I have the suitcase started!) I forgot to pack an outfit to travel home in on Sunday! I was only thinking of the conference days. hmm.. new packing plan needed.
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I finally finished! 😀
When packing i think less is better!
My daughter comes to visit and honest to goodness i believe she brings every piece of clothes she owns and only wears certain pieces
Haha, that is hilarious!