That hostel in Barcelona finally showed me why I was packing wrong

I used to just stuff everything in a big duffel bag. No organization, just throw clothes in and go. Last month at a hostel in Barcelona this guy from Denmark watched me unpack and just laughed. He showed me his packing cubes setup. I spent 10 minutes digging for socks every morning before that. Now I get it. Who else had a random stranger change how they travel?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley38524d ago

Met that guy who travels with a single carry-on and a washbag that looks like a tiny backpack and it made me realize I overpack for everything, not just trips. Even my regular gym bag is a disaster now that I think about it.

jesse_green5524d ago

Read an article about "packing anxiety" and it basically said we pack for the person we WANT to be, not the person we actually are. Like I bring workout gear on every trip but I've NEVER used a hotel gym. It's that whole thing where you think you'll have all this free time to read three books and journal and do yoga but really you just eat snacks and watch TV. The guy with the tiny bag probably accepts he's not gonna change his habits just because he's in a different city. That article really made me rethink my whole approach, not just for travel but for my daily life too.

val94924d ago

My friend Kate showed me her bag once and I was embarrassed by how organized it was. She folds everything like it's going on a shelf, not thrown in a trunk. I started doing the KonMari fold for shirts and it cut my packing time in half. Now I only bring 3 tops and 2 bottoms for a week trip and rotate them with a scarf. The weird thing is nobody notices you're wearing the same pants twice.