the art of getting lost
The art of traveling light
Last week at a public library in Singapore, I shared how to travel with half a bag.
At the maximum, I carry two change of clothes (in addition to what I am wearing).
My clothes are made of light cotton. They dry in a couple of hours.
I have separate packs for clothes, charging cables, swimwear e.t.c. This way I can quickly choose what to leave at the guesthouse, and what to take with me for the adventures around the town. Everything and the bag combined weighs about 4 KGs.
In lieu of a travel guide book, I carry a novel or anthology set in that city or country - you get insights, and talking points when you strike up a conversation with locals.
There was a time, when I would pack half the house.
The photo above is me crossing into China in 2001. When you first start traveling, you are insecure and you want to pack every possible that you think you may need. Slowly, you learn to trust the world and you realize that you need so much less to live and travel comfortably.
From a book that I read a while back: Enough by Patrick Rhone
Enough comes from trying things out. It comes from challenging your preconceptions. It comes from having less, trying more, then reducing to find out what is just right. It comes from letting go of your fear of less. It comes from letting go of the false security of more. It also comes from having more, losing it all, and finding out what need really is.