Have you ever had overweight luggage? Like the feeling that you have more than you need but somehow still not enough?
So much you can’t even figure out what’s actually important and what’s there just…weighing you down?
I swear I’m still talking about luggage and not my life…. kind of.
I think we can all relate with packing like it’s the end of the world: a pair of extra shoes just in case the first ones get stolen; a ski jacket just in case it snows at the beach; a MET Gala-level outfit just in case the bar down the street decides to host the Middle-Of-Nowhere Fashion Week.
It’s basically human nature: stockpile for survival, even if survival is just getting through the airport without looking suspiciously sweaty. But there’s a cost to carrying everything, especially when traveling, when EVERY extra item matters.
If you’ve ever hiked, or even just walked around with a heavy backpack long enough, you’re well aware that weight multiplies with distance. And if you’ve ever attempted something like the Camino de Santiago, you REALLY know that every unnecessary shirt, every “just in case” gadget becomes a personal vendetta against your shoulders.
You start to ask yourself “Do I need this?”, “Do I even WANT this?”, “What was I thinking?” Turns out, those questions don’t just apply to backpacks. I ask myself the same things in life, too.
I feel like we carry a lot: plans, expectations, doubts, memories, half-finished dreams we keep lugging around “just in case.” And sure… everything we pack (emotionally) probably once had a purpose…some old survival instinct, a lesson learned, a warning not to get hurt again.
(If you like thinking too much about the invisible stuff we carry, you might enjoy this post about feeling homesick even when you’re home. Different luggage, same weird weight.)
But let’s be real: we’re carrying way more than we need to be happy.
Minimalism gets a bad reputation sometimes, like you have to live with three shirts, a fork, and meditate on a rock to be enlightened.
But traveling has taught me it’s not about living with nothing. It’s about choosing what stays and make sure we’re carrying it on purpose. For me, it shifts the focus from everything I don’t have, to everything I do (and how ridiculously lucky I already am.)
On a personal note, moving between countries has made me even more selective about what (and who) I bring along.
There are several ways to look at miNImaLiSm… for me, it was never about a Pinterest board of neutrals, but more like realising that lightness isn’t emptiness, it’s freedom.
PS: If you want to see what actually survived my “overpacking years” and now makes it into my minimalist travel backpack (don’t expect the MET Gala outfit), I made a little video with some simple packing tips. Enjoy it!
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Warning: Following may result in spontaneous one-way ticket purchases and an irrational fear of itineraries.
