Why do you travel?
Some people travel for food, some people explore the culture and history, and others, they want a piece of the great outdoors that can only be obtained in other parts of the world.
For me personally, I travel to see life as it is lived on different continents. I travel to see friends and family across the globe. Travel is magical, immersive, and done with wide-eyes.
I travel for many reasons, but you might notice that I didn’t say any of the following:
- to stand out from the crowd
- to impress random people
- to look different in all my travel photos
This Helps My Packing
With that in mind, packing for most adventures is a breeze. Why?
Because my clothes- they aren’t the focus of my travels. They aren’t the reason I hop on a plane and fly for 20 hours from point A to B. So, it’s easier for me to pick clothes that serve the function of protecting my body and staying modest, and ultimately, for packing less.
What’s the real focus of your travels?
Once you’re clear with the intention of your travels and what you plan to get out of it all, you might find that it’s easier to pack, and perhaps pack lighter.
Now, I understand that some trips are made for shopping. Some trips might have a focus of seeing the nightlife or fancy events. If that is the case, packing smaller and smarter might come down to following other packing tips that we have listed on the site, as well as the mindset shift that being seen in the same outfit a couple of times is not the end of the world.
It’s a simple tip; it never hurts to be mindful and clear on purpose so you can better focus your time on packing truly what you need.
Thank you, Brooke, for addressing this. I think it is the MOST important way to approach trip planning. I always start with the “feeling” of the of the trip, and then pick the shoes. 🙂 And go from there. I’m currently planning on a month long Prague to Dubrovnik in one carry-on size bag, which will have a very different feel than an all Italy trip in one carry-on.