How I Travel
After a two-week trip to Europe in 2011 and a three-week trip to Guam in 2012, I realized that I was traveling with too much. I realized that I was packing for what ifs. What if we go to a nice restaurant? I’ll need nice shoes and a pretty dress. What if my hair misbehaves? I’ll need a hair straightener and product. What if I run out of tissues? I’ll take a couple of extra packs — just in case. I didn’t use any of these things and it was just extra weight that I had to carry around. Little things make a big difference when you want to be able to move easily from airport to train station to AirBnb. Or if you’ll have to spend a few hours walking around with your baggage before you can check-in.
I now travel with a small backpack — the Minaal Daily. I pack only what I think I will absolutely need. I don’t ever have to check my bag. It fits nicely underneath the seat in front of me on the plane. It’s light enough that if I needed to I could walk all day with it. It’s a good quality bag and is made so that I am able to have easy access to everything in it without having to take things out or dig around trying to find something.
I like my stuff to be organized and my clothes to be separated from everything else in my bag. So, I use an Eagle Creek packing cube for clothing items. It’s pretty small but works well for me. I simply roll my tees, an extra pair of bottoms (usually my Prana quick-drying skort, or an extra pair of pants), and a pair of shorts to sleep in. I lay my underwear (5 pairs of Me Undies — also quick-drying and extremely comfortable) on top of my tees, an extra bra and a couple pairs of socks (also ones that are quick-drying). As you may have noticed, I like clothes that dry overnight. I try to take only what I can fit in the packing cube.
I also have a toiletries bag that I use to pack things like a travel tube of toothpaste, some lotion, body wash, and facial cleanser. I am aware that I can buy these items anywhere but because of a skin condition, I choose to bring them from home.
I don’t like to travel with an extra pair of shoes, but if I think I may need something, I will pick a pair of comfortable flat sandals. Something that packs nicely and does not take up too much space. However, whatever you choose to wear on your feet, if you are out walking all day they will be tired. This is something that even the most comfortable shoe can not remedy. I find that running shoes work best for me. I never have blisters, my feet don’t cramp up, and I can walk longer distances and most of the day. I have a wet/dry bag that I use when I travel and usually will pack that extra pair of sandals in them. It doubles as a shoe/laundry bag.
I have to have a book to read when I travel. I like to find easy reads — ones that aren’t too dense and that are entertaining. Books that I can read at night after a long day of exploring when my mind and body are tired. For a long time I would travel with my kindle and I loved it. It’s light-weight and a space saver as opposed to packing a print book. Recently, I realized that I can use one device for everything from reading to writing email to journaling, for listening to music and if I really wanted to, for watching movies or TV shows. So, I traded my iPhone 5 for the larger 6 Plus. Now I won’t need to travel with a phone, a reading device, and a computer. I love it!
I like to travel light and keep things simple.