Pack Smart, Travel Light, Be Happy!

One of the many things I/we love about being slightly nomadic is realizing again and again that our happiness is not linked to the “stuff” we own. I vividly remember how on our last trip, having only one pair of pants made my life so much easier. Traveling with as little baggage as possible is, for us anyhow, the very best way to go. Worst case scenario: you are under-dressed (so cannot hear a concert in Kuala Lumpur), or have to locate an alternate product (which can take some time, depending where you are).

The funny thing, though, is that when we were packing in Würenlos last April, I had no problem whatsoever packing only that one pair of pants again. It’s a wonderful pair of Patagonia trekking pants that can be pulled up and made into shorts, so technically, I guess it counts as two pairs. I did, however, have a huge problem NOT taking along my 8kg Bulgarian Bag (a crescent-shaped sandbag I do a number of exercises with). The bag is my favorite workout gadget at the moment, and had been instrumental in my fitness regimen for the months prior to the trip. As always, I was packing a few hours before leaving, so on a whim, I grabbed the Bulgarian and popped it in my large trekking backpack. Phil − who was traveling lightly with carry-on baggage only from the start − thought it was hilarious, but, ever the gentleman, kept his remarks to a minimum. Kudos to him for letting me have it my way!

Looking back, I am surprised that I had such a hard time leaving the bag behind, since I am not usually like that. Was there any valid argument for taking it along? I just did. Well, just as I thought we could make sneakers work for a concert where the dress code suggested otherwise, I was also mistaken in thinking that taking a Bulgarian Bag to Thailand was just the right thing. Another lesson learned!

I did get a few training sessions in, but not enough to justify schlepping an 8kg bag halfway around the world. SO, after purchasing a lovely little backpack in Singapore (the Surge II, the same one Phil has), AND sending some huge boxes back to Switzerland (paying my traveling-light-dues!), I was back on track and happy to be among the light baggage travelers. For anybody interested, here is my updated packlist: less stuff, more happiness! Just like Graham Hill argued in his inspiring TEDtalk in 2011, and well worth the few minutes if you haven’t seen it already!