Better Days-Travel Light

We can all tell a tale or two about a terrible traveling experience. But very few people can top my friend Amy's* story. Amy was on the plane with her children. Enough said, right?! She took one son to the bathroom. She helped him, which was tricky in such a tight space for two people, and then needed to use the toilet too. Amy turned around, sat down and, to her horror, started to feel warm liquid running down the back of her legs and onto her pants. The toilet seat lid had closed and she didn't realize it! She had to wrap a sweater around her bum to cover her wet pants and sit in it the rest of the flight.

But that could never happen to you, right? What about your checked bag showing up in a different country than you arrived in? Or maybe the bag does arrive in the country with you but you can't get through customs fast enough and someone else mistakes your bag for theirs and takes it. That happened to me in Spain.

To avoid these scenarios and so many others, help yourself out and pack light when you travel! Pack light enough that you don't have to check your bag and can keep it with you at all times.

When my husband was unexpectedly sent to Europe right around his birthday we decided to make a couples trip out of it. After his work I met him in Munich for a trip we'd been dreaming about for 17 years. I was there for 12 days. If you can believe it, all I had with me is pictured above!

And if that doesn't shock you, then the fact that I took this same luggage and large handbag with me two weeks later on a trip that lasted 24 days should impress you! How did I do it? I consulted ricksteves.com for travel advice. Rick Steves has travelled Europe for decades. He knows the best ways to pack.

Here are a few tips that helped me:
1. Bring the smallest size toiletries possible. I packed all my liquids in one airport security approved bag. That also made getting ready in the morning easier because I just had one little bag to grab. On the first trip I learned how long the hairsprays, the shampoos, the contact cleaners and other things would last me. It was easy to restock on the 24 day trip. There was no reason to bring all that I needed for more than three weeks from the beginning.
2. Do laundry! I didn't need 12 different outfits for Europe! I brought versatile outfits and I did laundry when they were dirty. I did the best I could to limit the shoes I brought. Shoes take up a lot of space!
3. Don't take a hairdryer. I never needed one anyways. All the hotels had one. Or I threw my hair back in a pony tail and spent time exploring amazing places instead of being in a bathroom doing my hair! I did take a hairdryer on the 24 day trip but I didn't take as many shoes on that trip. You have to be strict with yourself on your load. It's so easy to come and go with only a small roller bag and a big purse.
4. Check the size requirements for carry on bags on international flights. These rules have changed recently. You don't want to go to all the work of packing light only to have your bag checked because it's too big.

Give it a try! You can do it! Once you do you will never go back to lugging around huge bags on your trips! And if you happen to have an accident between your house and your destination you'll have clothes to change in to!

*name changed to protect the identity of my embarrassed friend!