Now Boarding Group 7

Travel plans are full steam ahead for the summer and I recently embarked on a journey back to Colorado. What would normally take me 18 long hours to drive takes less than two hours by plane. Let me tell you what a delight it was to fly, rent a car, and be there with enough energy to enjoy both my first and last days of my trip. When I booked my flight I was looking for a bargain and found a reasonable fare that I could afford. I unfortunately did not read all of the travel restrictions when I clicked through. Turns out that I could only bring one personal item that would fit under the airplane seat in front of me.

If you’re like me and you’re used to being able to pack everything for a trip via car then this new restriction can feel quite foreign. Determined to not pay $100 in additional fees I was going to think and rethink my packing options. I purchased a very small bag that was designed to fit under the seat. I watched countless videos on how to pack for a week with one bag. I planned out my outfits and learned that if you travel with just a couple of clothing colors you can bring less and accessorize more.

Strolling through the airport with one tiny bag allowed me to experience freedom that I had never known before. It was so peaceful to just think about one item rather than several wheeled pieces every time you needed to grab a snack, run to the restroom, or find a place to sit and relax. What does packing have to do with mindfulness? Everything! When you have to think about every single thing that you bring with you then you are left to really debate each one’s intrinsic value.

Each item that I packed was carefully considered, thoughtfully selected and was deemed necessary for the trip. After making it to my destination and staying for a week I felt so much gratitude to have with me the bare essentials. I felt lighter and could enjoy my travel experiences so much more fully without thinking of packing up again and fighting my way through security with too much luggage and a barrage of things that I may have never used on my trip.

This experience taught me so many valuable life lessons. I proved to myself that I could make it in this world with less, that every item serves a purpose to either help or hinder that process, and that everything that you think that you need is not always something that you do. I will never pack the same way moving forward. I know my husband is already grateful for this newfound discovery and he was amazed too. Imagine traveling with less, experiencing more, and truly embracing things that matter. This will definitely be something to write home about.