The Inca Trail. A first hand lesson in the benefits of packing light.
I took my first trip abroad when I was 17. It was an 8 day school trip to Rome, Italy. I made the usual preparations – learned some basic Italian phrases, skimmed through travel guides from the library and completed the pre-work for my class. Anxious as I was to take my first international flight and become immersed into a foreign culture, the thing causing me the most anxiety the week before the trip was the packing.
Our teacher, smart woman that she was, had limited each of us to a single carry-on bag and, in doing so, had sent me into a tailspin.
The Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy.
Looking back now, 8 days in a carry on seems easy. I’ve taken far longer trips with less luggage. At the time, though, this seemed completely unreasonable. I still remember sitting on the edge of my mother’s bed, the contents of my closet strewn across her floor, as she talked me down from my panicked state. Together, we laid my clothes out, created an outfit for each day, and used versatile pieces (like black pants, a colorful scarf, and simple t-shirts) to reduce the total number of items.
“Once you get there”, she told me, “you don’t want your time to be spent worrying about what you’re wearing, you want to focus all your energy on the experience.”
She was right. If I had a big suitcase full of wardrobe choices, might I have preferred to wear a different shirt to dinner one night? Perhaps. But, as it turned out, I didn’t spend a single moment of that trip debating between outfits or disappointed that I didn’t have more options.
In fact, there were some items in my suitcase that I never touched. That always seems to be the case. No matter how light I try to pack, and how much I seem to eliminate, I always return with a few unworn items, which prove further how little we need when we travel.
Not convinced? Here are just a few of the many ways to lighten your load on your next vacation.
Reasons to pack light:
- Save time at the airport by skipping the check in line and avoiding baggage claim.
- Save money, by avoiding the pesky baggage fees most airlines charge.
- Rest easy knowing that your bag is just a few feet away, and you won’t have to deal with the stress of lost luggage
- Make public transit a breeze. If you’re traveling to cities, you likely won’t have a car. Packing light makes it easy to maneuver and fit into tight train cars and buses.
- More room for souvenirs!
- Spend less time in your room. Don’t waste precious time rooting through a huge bag, or constantly unpacking and repacking your stuff throughout your trip.
Bottom line: It will take some planning up front, but once you’re done, packing light gives you a sense of freedom and lightness, and allows you to focus all your energy on having the time of your life!
Our Daily Balance 
