I'm a guest over at my favourite travel with kids blog, Happy Jet Baby!
Back on topic, some thoughts about travel. Despite my clutter, and my tendency to hang onto things, I am a very light traveler. In fact, one of my favourite sites on travel is the Travelite FAQ. Lani, an Internet presence for decades now, has a passion for traveling light. She offers hundreds of tips.
Why am I able to travel light, despite my clutter bug status? Well, frankly, it's because I like to be able to carry my luggage easily. I like low-budget travel, public transit rather than taxis, trains rather than planes when in Europe, and to be able to pack up at a moment's notice. It's even more important with kids in the mix, since packing for four can take up a lot of space. If you Travelite it, you'll still be able to carry your bags without waking up stiff and sore.
But still, why can I do it on the road but not at home? This I still don't know. Perhaps because all my stuff is waiting for me at home. I do always worry that I've forgotten something, and my mantra, "as long as you have the kids and a credit card, anything else is gravy", is repeated numerous times on the drive to the airport or the final destination.
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3 comments:
We always wonder the same things ourselves - on our last trip we wondered - if we can live comfortably in a 350 square foot hotel room, without trashing it daily, why can't we live comfortably in a 1400 square foot house? Without trashing it daily?
I think it's like you say - on a trip, we don't need as much stuff. We don't need our favorite mementos, or our winter clothes, or six months of food in case of unplanned disaster, such as the cancellation of America's Next Top Model. Also, there's no kitchen in a hotel, so therefore no dishes, no moldering cauliflower, no stale veggie booty. That's why it's so nice to get away - you realize how much stuff you don't need ... but you want to keep around anyhow. It does give you a fresh perspective.
See, and I'm not that great at packing. My mother taught me to always bring extra "in case," extra underwear, extra socks, extra pants...which makes sense when you have kids with you and they throw up or have accidents, but less so when you're one adult going away for three days. But I have to pack once, and then go through it all, think hard, and take out things that I really won't use. And I still always end up having things I don't need or use with me on my trips.
The secret is all black clothing, a few tops and underwear and NO MORE than two pairs of comfortable shoes. Wear your bulkiest items on the plane and you will easily be able to travel for a week or more with just a carry-on bag.
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