Travel with Less
Good morning from our studio in Los Angeles. It's so nice to be back here. Settling in with our version of Los Angeles autumn weather.
I hope you are able to enjoy the little bits and pieces of our BK on the Road // Okayama blog stories. Eunice and I had a quite adventures!
If you haven't, here are the links!
Because this trip required us to be very mobile (visiting 3 different locations in 5 days), Eunice and I really worked hard to simplify what we brought with us. One of the BK mantras is to "be light" and it was empowering to see how compact we could be on the road!
Also traveling is one of the best opportunities for our BK team to test out the artifacts we adore. Whatever we decided to bring had to endure some serious wear and tear as we went through the airport, crowded train stations, ferry ride, packing and unpacking at multiple destinations, etc. etc.
So here is what we tested and loved during this trip.
My check-in luggage on this trip was TSL Backpacker. It did get little heavy on the shoulder when I put my clothes, toiletry, umbrella, extra lightweight shoes, and a laptop (laptop was in there when the bag was not checked in for flight), but the convenience of being able to throw my luggage on my back when we transferred from a train to ferry then to a bus was pretty premium. And the Backpacker NEVER got confused with other suitcases when it was time for me to find it during the luggage pickup. As a carry-on, I carried TSL Engineer Shoulder Bag. This bag has been so worn in... with all the trips it has accompanied us. I just love it so much.
I carried my most important items such as passport, cash, credit cards, etc. in my Travel for Life Wallet inside of my Traveler's Notebook (TN Olive) and kept it safe in my Engineer Pouch with Pocket along with our itinerary. Japan is a pretty safe country to travel but it made me feel better to know that my makeshift Traveler's Notebook "wallet" really didn't look like a wallet. I had a "Wander" refill notebook in my Traveler's Notebook cover and used up the entire notebook during the trip. I clipped TSL Pen Holder Clip on the cover of the Traveler's Notebook so I was never short of my favorite writing instruments. Oh, and you saw me in the Traveling Balloon Pants pretty much through the entire trip. I was so glad to test this pair of pants before we started taking the preorder for our customers. It's one of the most comfortable and versatile pants to wear. When it was raining, I pulled it up to my knees so the hems didn't get wet. Then I layered it with leggings when it got chilly at night. (And there is a good chance I am wearing it "again" today as I write this story).
I also enjoyed seeing Eunice carry her ateliers PENELOPE knapsack. (Medium Size in Navy) She used it as her carry-on and the two external pockets which faced her back when she carried the bag came so handy to keep her Traveler's Notebook (as her wallet) safe yet handy. The drawstrings got little easier to pull over time but I think it will require few more adventures before they get softer.
This trip really made me re-think what we need in life. How easy and light it felt to have less with us... and knowing whatever we decided to carry REALLY belonged to our hearts.
What will you be carrying for your next adventure?
1 comment
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Thanks for sharing this story, Wakako. Traveling light is a wonderful thing. For me, it’s actually fun to challenge myself to think about what I really need during a trip. When we travel as a family, I use the opportunity to share my learnings on the power of traveling light with my two daughters. We make lists, we talk about what we really need and what we can go without. It’s empowering to give yourself the mobility and agility one needs when exploring a new land. Thanks again for sharing yours and Eunice’s experiences.