“The easiest journey has the least baggage”–Chinese proverb
Everything that is going with me for my next long slow travel is laid out on the bed. My eyes scan the neatly stacked piles as I negotiate what to remove, which items to place back in the closet, deciding what will NOT go into the travel bag.
I remove one-third of the items I have selected. Three to six months is a long time in which to carry all of your worldly possessions in one carry-on roller bag and a small backpack. However, it is smart to go lite and be nimble. The “least is more” philosophy of travel packing.
I have learned when traveling that I own only what I can carry. And on my previous sojourn, I was carrying and owning too much. So I shed a warm fleece and tights. I left a dress, skirt and top with my Spanish profesora, which I had foolishly tucked in my bag at the last moment. A big NO-NO!
Not only should you carry less physical baggage, but you should also leave the emotional stuff at home as well. A reminder to own only what you can carry. I’m not interested in transporting emotional and acculturated baggage.
This includes labels, barriers, rules, preconceived notions, and restrictions. To-do lists, boundaries, and decorum all confine open and novel experiences, the ability to wander and to absorb the wonders of the world with all of your senses.
You only need what you can carry. No need to own more. So keep it lite and minimal, physically and emotionally.
What do you carry with you? What are you willing to shed? Let us know.
