After three years of doing this with children, four years with my man, and five on my own, my suitcase has become a little temple for me. It's the room of my own, in terms of stuff. I think I have been packing and unpacking since I knew how. After I moved out of home at eighteen, I moved every six months. Then I let go of everything, got married and went to America. I took two suitcases with me. Five years later I got out of that marriage, or more aptly, I got reborn, and I packed a few boxes into my car. Those crates of stuff got whittled down over the many successive moves. Three of them remain in our storage unit. I think I hauled more books than anything else. The last few years it has been a suitcase. And I am content with that.
There is a big trade off about my stuff.
I prefer lightweight. That means some things have a short life span. I try to go for long life span where I can, like silk.
I love beautiful things. I want to express my femininity and I won't sacrifice that for being light. So unlike my man, my bag is heavier.
Stuff has to be accessible so I keep my suitcase organized. Sometimes I live out of it for a few months, sometimes I fully unpack.
I wear and use everything. I think that ethos is central and has taught me to live life more in the moment. If you have it and carry it, use it.
So what's inside?
To start the suitcase has been getting progressively smaller and lighter. I currently have a samsonite aspire xlight, 24 inch. It's the best suitcase I have owned so far because it's well made, elegant design, incredibly light and wheels effortlessly.
Over time my gear has improved and changed as I learned what to carry. It's still evolving. This is not travel packing, this is living packing. Being nomadic means you live that way.
Shoes: these are bulky to carry and you need a variety for all seasons.
For hiking and walking I have the lightest weight Merrell trail runner I can find. Currently I have the vapor glove 2 trail runner. Merrell has proved to be the best brand for me. I like the feeling of the ground, they are a slender fit and they are easy to wash. They get wet and dry fast, and have about a year lifespan.
For wet terrain I picked up a pair of short Swedish gum boots in Norway. They are amazing for any wet weather. They are also fairly elegant. I prefer having this over a hiking boot. I don't like weight on my feet. When needed these work perfectly and are lighter than any fully waterproof hiking boot.
For hot weather I have a pair of Sanuk yoga spree flip flop. You can easily wipe them down, they are light and fairly cheap. I get a new pair every year.
For looking pretty I have a pair of camper flats. The ballerina style is lightweight. I can change colors with a new pair, every two years.
Clothes:
I prefer silk, cashmere, wool, cotton and carry a few man made fabrics.
I have three pairs of leggings, three lose cotton and silk pants, and one pair of heavier pants. Two long sleeve tops are a mix of wool and silk, one is cotton. I have come to love shirts. I need to cover up in the heat and they are lightweight. I have four silk shirts and one cotton shirt. I love my dresses, two silk ones, always a black one and a wool lightweight dress. Right now I just have one silk skirt. I carry two wool and silk hoodies I get from Turkey, a Patagonia puff for really cold weather, and a Patagonia rain jacket. I love Patagonia stuff, for their longevity and slender fit. Panties are lightweight and hardly there, about ten of them. I use nursing bras still, four of them, and six pairs of cotton breast pads. As for socks I like smartwool brand, six pairs of varying thickness.
Hats:
I am a redhead so hats are a must. I love Wallaroo Hat Company, based out of Boulder. I have two to three hats at a time, always the scrunchie model. They give full coverage, have different colors, and scrunch up into nothing. My children wear Wallaroo too.
Little bags:
I love little bags. One has my collection of jewelry. I don't carry all I own, about half of it. This goes into my carry on when we fly, along with a tech gear bag, and my iPad Pro. My creams and beauty things, like nail clipper, tweezers and powder, essential oils and hair grips go into another two little bags. I currently use Haushka, which is easily bought in most countries. I have a pen fetish so there is always a few too many pens in my stationary bag.
Bigger bags:
I carry the cosmetics for the family. I use one big bag for all our daily bath stuff. I try not to carry shampoo and conditioner but I always carry an organic bath wash for my children. Inside the first aid bag I have very strong calendula and arnica, bandages, antiseptic, a suppository pack to bring down a high fever, Ruya's special owl bandages, a thermometer and some gauze.
Other stuff that gets chucked in includes my thin notebook, kikoy from Africa, a linen travel towel, tarot cards I have had since I was fifteen, a Yogo mat ultralight, a small notebook, my aurasoma bottles and a sandalwood statue from India. And sometimes I carry our MagicBullet blender. Our two lightweight indestructible folders also live in my bag when not on a flight. They have vaccine cards, important documents, birth certificates and passports.
I have a gossamear gear backpack that I use daily, and as a carry on. My diaper bag, extra set of clothing for the kids, lightweight water bottle and iPhone go in there. I wear an ergo carrier daily, which contains my small wallet and lip balm.
The process of packing and repacking makes me rotate stuff and change up what I own. Being nomadic like this constantly brings me question the empathy I have for what I own. Because hoarding is not possible the beauty of this process is I know what I have, I use it, celebrate it and let go lightly when the time comes.
