How To Become A Light Packer 🧳
disclaimer: don't try this at home—because you can’t… this is for travel! 😉
Here's the dirty of how I went from a chronic overpacker to a COOP (carry on only packing) convert.
I was born to be an overpacker. My Mom's life motto is "Better to Have It and Not Need It than to Need It and Not Have It." After traveling a bit and overpacking every time, I found myself STRESSING OUT every time I had to pack. Honestly, lugging a very heavy suitcase over the cobblestones, bridges, and stairs of Venice, Italy 🇮🇹 should have been enough to cure me back in 2016, but it didn’t. I kept packing heavy for years.
I would procrastinate the chore of packing and try to fit enough outfits for every possible scenario into my suitcase until 3:00 AM the night before a trip. 🧳 I don’t know what made us want to try something different, but leading up to a trip to Jordan, my husband and I both wanted to try carry-on only.
Wadi Rum desert, Jordan 🇯🇴 November 2021
AND WE DID IT. It was the best feeling. 💪🏼 We looked at each other several times on the trip just in awe that we were lacking nothing, weren’t burdened with extra luggage, and in some small way felt like we accomplished something huge. No anxiety about the airline losing our bags. No trouble fitting the carry-on suitcases in any mode of transportation.
My best way to convince you is not to convince you to go COOP (carry-on only packing) for life… just try it once. C’mon, you can do it ONCE! I promise it will feel so good. If you hate it, just feel good that you learned something about yourself.
Some things to remember:
YOU want to see the world… your closet doesn’t.
Repeat after me: the hotel will provide toiletries.
As Rick Steves says, “If you can't find one of your essentials, ask yourself how half a billion Europeans can live without it.”
Speaking of Rick Steves, his packing list is the only one you need!
An item needed on the road is an adventure waiting to happen.
This is my own version of a NYT packing method that made the rounds on the internet a few months back. While I have used this, I often go back to the Rick Steve’s packing list to make sure I’m not missing anything!