Hey all? How goes it? Yes, how goes it? Hope you’re having a great summer. My summer has been off to wonderful start, many realizations, great people, readily available fruits, scuba lessons, and a holistic retreat to Jamaica. Actually, its been amazing and it’s getting better everyday. About a week ago I returned from an amazing retreat in the mountains to Jamaica. Now I have a sad confession to make.. I am not a light packer. No matter where I am going, I like to pack for multiple unlikely occasions just to be “safe”. What if there’s a tornado and I need sweatpants? What if there’s a formal occasion in the middle of the tropics? and yea… 20 pairs of panties are always necessary on 5 day trips. These are all slight exaggerations but you can see where my rationale is here. Actually there is none but I did learn something… $25 each way to check luggage that could’ve fit into a carryon was completely unccessary. So here are my 3 tips to optimize your luggage experience.

1: when packing, make a list, then go thru the list and separate the necessaries from from the “ah, but I mights..” (ie. Ah but I might need this wetsuit just in case I swim with whales in alaska.. yeaaaa, NO)

2: Have a trusted person go thru your list a clarify whats not really needed and what is. Often times friends and family offer level headed advice in the midst of packing mayhem.

3: Pick a luggage that is just the right smedium size and stick to it.. If your belongings dont fit in, then reevaluate what is packed, not the size luggage picked.

..and there you have it. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Im looking forward to sharing my amazing experience on the next post. 

If you have any tips on packing light, please post them. As a recovering over-packer, i’d love to hear your ideas and solutions.