A Serial Over-Packer Prepares for a Semester in Spain

I always admire the people I see walking through airports with light luggage in tow. They seem to have it all together.  The ones who hold their boarding passes without dropping anything, breeze through the security line and don’t delay the rest of the plane when storing their carry-ons during boarding.

I’ll admit it. I am not one of these people. I’m generally the one struggling to take off my shoes while pushing the rest of my things onto the conveyor belt, the one insisting I can hoist my bag up myself for in-flight storage, knowing it’ll have to be smushed into the compartment. The one who arrives with things I’m never quite sure why I packed in the first place.

Perhaps it’s because I’m worried I’ll forget something essential. Or maybe it’s my desire to carry the variety of home with me when I travel. But regardless, I quickly discover that the extra baggage is not worth the hassle to carry it all there. There are things that can be lived without.

Tomorrow, I depart for Barcelona. This time, I’m striving to sidestep the packing woes I’ve committed so many times before.

A few things I couldn’t live without? My running shoes, so I can discover a few new jogging routes during my stay. A few scarves for warmth, since I’m always cold. Two canisters of peanut butter to make my favorite sandwich. My journal, to record my adventures for later reading.

Only time will tell how my packing fares on this trip. But for now, I’m priding myself on the fact that I have all I need and nothing more.

Plus, I’ll have room for a few treasures to collect along the way.