Doesn’t everyone pack naked?
I’m packing for my birthday trip that I keep forgetting is my birthday trip bc I’m deliciously old.
And I guess birthdays used to be about getting stuff that I thought I needed or wanted, or stuff I thought I was supposed to need or want.
Or stuff that I was conditioned to need and want because maybe it was never about me,
and this is why I never knew who I was all those years.
If you keep adding stuff on top of nothing, the nothing is still there.
It’s just hiding underneath the fancy coat.
Doesn’t everyone wax philosophical naked?
Turns out finding yourself is the hardest and scariest thing you will ever do,
until you’ve found her.
And then the best gift of all is that you get to feel so much peace and truth and wholeness. You get to look behind you at the long and winding road it took to get to where you are
and
thank the pain – and the people who caused it – for forcing you out of your costume.
You give more grace. You love harder and better,
even if it means you’re loving less people now.
I know so many of you are going through a change right now.
Going somewhere you never thought you’d have to go.
It’s scary. It’s unknown. It’s new.
But you’re walking that path anyway
and that’s what we call Brave.
I promise you it’s worth it.
And I’m here with a flashlight to walk with you if you need me.
I love you.
💋🥂
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Aaaand, I decided as a birthday gift to you, I’m going to share some of the items that have helped me streamline my packing! I have far too many to include in just one post, so hopefully I can get a few more posts out soon to round it all out. We travel a lot and try not to check luggage unless we absolutely have to… we even went to Italy for over a week (all 4 of us) with only carry-ons 🏆.
So here are a few of the things that help me get to where I’m going (with all the stuff I love to have with me!) a little bit easier…
- I never pack a suitcase without these compression packing cubes. My husband uses them now, and I love giving them as gifts. They help organize all of your belongings in your suitcase, and they have a second zipper to smush it all into a much more compact size. They’re truly a life saver if you’re an over-packer like me!
BAGAIL 4 pack / $22.94 https://amzn.to/3rcF9Ap
- And I always put my shoes into separate bags. One, I don’t want those nasty suckers mingling with everything else, and Two, we like organization.
SPIKG portable shoe bags 10 pack / $9.99 https://amzn.to/3Pk5l46
- Since I’m not checking luggage, I need the largest carry-on sized suitcase and the largest personal item sized bag allowed. I love this backpack that opens up like a suitcase… so many pockets too. We love so many pockets.
Hanples extra large travel backpack $39.99 https://amzn.to/3ZfK9Az
- We’re big on getting to the airport early so we aren’t stressed or having a Home Alone moment. So we tend to have a lot of time at our gate to sit and read, etc. And we’ve usually been somewhere to grab a snack or a drink… this is a cute little drink holder that slides onto your roller luggage handle. It’s made of fabric so it collapses for easy traveling when not in use!
Kajaia travel luggage cup holder $12.99 https://amzn.to/3sKWcd4
- Too many times I get to my hotel, etc. and there are never enough hooks or hangers to hang my things. Whether that’s my bath towel, clothing, toiletry bag, jacket… anything. I just never seem to have enough places to put my stuff. So I stopped being disappointed and frustrated and decided to just bring my own! I bring over-the-door hooks, and foldable hangers. Sometimes I’ve been known to bring my own collapsible garment rack 😉
Ninonly over the door hooks 10 pack / $8.99 https://amzn.to/3ECZqlm
Trubetter foldable travel hangers 20 pack / $15.99 https://amzn.to/3sQiXwk
Ligtchser portable travel garment rack https://amzn.to/3PfHlPc
- I always travel with the means to wash my clothes, even if I’m not staying at a house with a washer and dryer. Depending on the length of the trip, I will do a lot of little loads in the sink or tub (and use the garment rack above for drying!). Here are some liquid-free detergents that I travel with, along with some collapsible mesh laundry bags I pack if we’re on a long family trip /staying at a house. I have both the white and the black mesh bags and use the black for everyone’s rooms to collect their dirty laundry… and the white ones for their clean!🤓
WashEZE 3 in 1 laundry sheets (for machines… detergent+softener+static control) $10 / $16.19
https://amzn.to/3Lhpc2o
CLEARALIF eco-friendly detergent sheets for sink washing (safe for machines too!) 160 / $12.69
https://amzn.to/4814H3M
Handy Laundry collapsible mesh laundry bag 2 / $12.99 https://amzn.to/45ImR91
And I am now the person who travels with a garment steamer. It took me a while to find one small enough that actually works. Most hotels will have an iron, but a lot of those are so old and mean that they decide to burn you. This one is compact, and works so quickly.
Electrolux compact handheld travel garment steamer $29.95 https://amzn.to/3sUt8Qf
Ok, that’s enough for this post… next time I hope to share all the liquid-free cosmetics and toiletry items I discovered and used on our Italy trip. It helped SO much not having to limit so many of those to get through security!
Take care, ya’ll. much love x ✈️
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