A Transformational Life

Why Would We Travel So Light?

I recently posted a picture of our luggage and backpacks that contain everything we own for one year. From that picture I received some gasps, really’s!, and how do you do that? For quite some time before this adventure was fathomed, I had purged many items from our house. When we made the decision to travel abroad for a year and sell everything in the house, and donate a good portion of it as well, it felt natural that we should be able to pack light, fitting everything we would need into a carry-on suitcase and a backpack.

When there are five of us traveling minimalism works well. Carrying luggage through airports and lines; taking it onto taxis, boats, buses, and trains gets cumbersome with too many heavy bags. Baggage fees on airlines add up quickly and overseas it’s all about how much the bag weighs, not how many you have. Having light luggage is key to spending less on baggage.

Lastly, this is a transformational life adventure! The challenge of living with the bare necessities to stay clothed, participate in swimming activities, stay connected to the rest of the world, and to run businesses just adds to the vision of the journey. The places we stay have everything else we need to live a regular life. (We mostly stay at Airbnb’s.)

What Is In Those Bags?

You may still wonder how all this fits in such a little space when you are done reading this section. But it fits and we always make weight with the baggage we purchase for the flights. Each of our carry-on bags are between 12-15kg. With backpacks and carry-on our total weight is under 100kg.

Carry-on Suitcase:

A weeks worth of clothes for each person which includes 6-7 shirts, 3-4 pairs of shorts, a few socks, underoos, and pajamas. A couple of swim suits, a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt round out the wardrobe. A Sweatshirt, which we have never used, and a rain jacket, which gets used frequently, also take up some space. The girls have a couple of dresses to wear to church and a skirt for play. The boys have a set of church clothes as well. Each person has 1-2 (or 4, if you’re Jake) pairs of flip-flops, a pair of sandals for church, and tennis shoes. The kids each have a pair of Keens as well.

Non-clothes items in the suitcases:

small school workbooks, rainbow loom bands, learn to draw books, colored paper, and activity books. There are a couple of small school notebooks as well. Two toiletries bags that have the bare necessities for all people in the house. Mine does have make-up and that won’t change. I have a small travel blow dryer and a straight iron (but the straight iron doesn’t work overseas, so I need to part with it- tears). Each child has a journal as well.

Cords, LOTS and LOTS of cords. Charging cords for 11 various electronic devices, 2 Fitbits, a Pebble watch, a camera, and an electric toothbrush, which is totally worth bringing. Each of us has a headlamp (I ended up with two), and we have a couple of flashlights because we are in places where the electricity is not so consistent.

Backpacks:

Each child has a small rectangular storage box that holds their treasures. Anything from pens, Hot Wheels cars, LEGOs, and any shells or trinkets they want to keep. Neck pillows and a blanket I made out of swaddle fabric are in everyone’s backpack. The blankets come in handy on those freezing cold flights. The eleven electronic devices are spread out between all of us with a few Kindle Fire’s and Kindle Paperwhites, laptops, cell phones, and an iPad. Jake also has some podcasting equipment with him. I have a camera I keep with me at all times, a day planner that I love and won’t part with even though it weighs a lot, colored pencils and coloring books, Nalgene water bottles, and some chopsticks because you never know when you will need them. Tage and Claire each of a bear for their comfort item. They appear to be very well-loved on this trip, too!

It might sounds like a ton of stuff, and there are more little items like hats and workout clothes; overall it’s not much. When I think of all the clothes I have in a couple of boxes in America I am wondering how much of those items I will actually wear when we return. Living with so little really begins to change your perspective on having things.

What Have We Learned By Living With Very Little?

I mentioned that even before this adventure I was parting with a lot of stuff in the house. Something about throwing away (or donating or selling it) unused items makes me feel lighter and freer. Some people wonder what items we miss the most that we sold or donated or threw away. Jake and I honesty don’t miss any of the things. We are traveling the world, memories and experiences have taken the place of items. The children will mention a toy or a stuffed animal that they remember and long for momentarily. They will ask if we packed it safely in a box. Mostly, they are {slowly} learning to entertain themselves a bit better. They are very creative making videos, playing cards, or combining their toys for an afternoon of imaginative play.

We live in smaller spaces, around 600sq. ft. typically, and we are not feeling cramped or completely on top of each other all the time. The less stuff you own, the less stuff you have to find a place for. Unpacking and packing are pretty simple because of the amount of belonging we have. We are liberated from stuff owning us; and have what we need and truly love. We really are accumulating memories and life experiences instead of miscellaneous stuff.

What Does This Mean For The Future?

We can honestly say we have no idea. To travel full-time for the next three years would be a great opportunity. It sounds nice to one day have a home base and travel from there. Right now we are fully on the road and loving it; we are open to any course our life takes us. We are excited for our future as a traveling family, however long it might be.

Link to items we are using: *We do not make commission on any of these at this time*

MEI packs: Jake and I have bags that convert from soft shell bags to back packs. We did lots of research and found a small company based in Fresno, CA that hand makes these bags. They are carry-on regulation size as well. We LOVE them and cannot recommend them enough.

Osprey child’s backpack: Roomy for all that a child needs to carry with them on their traveling journey.

PotteryBarn Kids Carry-On Luggage: These are sturdy, well made pieces of travel luggage. Perfect size for the children to roll their own suitcases along.

Let us know any of any items you have really enjoyed using in your travels. We love trying out new travel equipment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Pin this image)