......packing

Yogis,

I have always been an over- packer. Weekend trips demand the medium sized suitcase and a week away has me struggling to lift my bag onto the scale when checking in at the airport. Not much gets left home.

I always start out with good intentions, carefully placing in the necessities, but little by little the ‘what ifs’ slip in. What if it rains……what if it is chilly at night…..what if I don’t feel like wearing those pants. Before I know it, I am struggling to close the zipper and yet I still inevitably stuff one more thing in as I am heading out the door.

I’ve always envied someone who shows up for a weekend trip with a small duffel over their shoulder yet looks amazing no matter what we end up doing. Or those that casually mention how they did carry on when traveling Europe for 10 days. What!!! They must have a packing gene that didn’t make it into my DNA. I am in awe.

But then we planned a trip to Ireland for 9 days with some friends……who suggested we all carry on. Oh no.

Is it possible to change lifelong habits? Can I possibly become a light packer at age 57? I decided it was time to stop saying ‘I wish’ and do it. I wanted it so I began to visualize it.

I started with our beach weekend trips, scaling down to carry on size luggage. I watched to see if I even wore that amount of clothes in 3 days and of course, noticed I did not.

How would I handle shoes? I imagined the cool misty days and decided waterproof hiking shoes would be on my feet all day and some cute short brown boots would be my evening wear. Simplicity.  I was beginning to be able to ‘see it’.

Browns, golds and whites in clothing to all intermix. Travel size toiletries, which I admit are straining the quart sized bag zip lock. Would gallon size be too much to ask? A rain jacket that rolls into a ball and a fleece. And the small suitcase zips. I did it! I ‘am’ a light packer!

For many of you naturally light packers out there this all seems silly, but this was a change for me that required going out of my comfort zone. Wanting, visualizing and taking baby steps. Doing it.

I am writing this on Friday, the day before leaving, so as you read this I am already in Ireland. Perhaps by now I wish I had brought something that didn’t make it into the bag. But that’s ok because I know I will feel lighter and freer. Less burdened with stuff. Maybe this will carry over into other parts of life.

I will let you know how it went……

Watching for fairies in Ireland,
SARAH