Packing Light
I’ve moved overseas once before and Andy has done it twice. We have been on many weekends away and have been lucky enough to have had our fair share of overseas adventures together.
Recently we have adapted to the ‘One-Bag’ method of travel – each taking only one piece of carry on luggage on our trips. There are two major reasons this has proved a good idea: no extra bag fees and no wasted time waiting for our bags at the luggage carousel.
Fox Glacier, New Zealand
Our greatest one-bag achievement: our last Europe trip when each took one (admittedly, maximum-allowed size) carry on piece of luggage on our four week long adventure. While it seemed like a daunting task at first, it actually improved our trip for more reasons than just saving dollars and time.
One-Bag also means less kgs to lug around (thanks to ~7kg max carry on allowance on most airlines), you smell less as necessity makes you wash your clothes more often, and you are always being able to snag a seat on public transport – a carry on sized backpack is waay easier to hug on your lap than a 20kg suitcase on wheels.
Perhaps most importantly from my experiences, packing less stuff also takes the attention away from the ‘things’ you ‘have to have’ on a daily basis. Holidays should be about making memories and not about wasting time waiting at luggage carousels or choosing which pair of shoes to wear.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Also worth remembering – if you find that you really need something that you didn’t bring with you, buy it while you’re away and it will probably be a perfect memento from your trip, and one that you will be more likely to use and treasure. My favourite hat and umbrella were both on-trip essential purchases from trips to Canada and New York during a snowy winter!
Ditch the excess stuff and enjoy your holiday with your hands free to hold your camera and experience more.
