"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." -- Susan Heller

When I was 25, I made my first solo overseas trip. It wasn't too adventurous...I was going back to England. I had not been in 7 years and I was so excited to go. If I had been truly adventurous I would have gone to a new country where I did not speak the language. But ever since my first trip there, I had burning desire to go back.
I had decided to travel light because I wanted to get around easy. I took one carry on for the 2 weeks I planned on being there. This was pre 9/11 so there were no long lines, except customs.
The first time I had gone to England we were all stuck in Heathrow for hours. Our luggage did not make it on the same flight as us. It was coming on a later flight...much later. We had to wait in customs until our luggage got there. That was my reason for wanting to do the carry on...I wasn't going to waste 3 hours sight seeing time in the airport.
When I arrived at Heathrow, I got my carry on and walked right past all of the people waiting for their luggage. I went up to the security check point and attempted to walk on past. He stopped me, very politely, with a "Love, you can not leave this area until you have all of your luggage."
I told him that I had all of my luggage.
"That is all you have?"
"Yes," I replied.
"You have absolutely nothing else for you coming off of that plane?"
"No, this really is all I have."
I could see the cogs working in his brain as he was thinking. I could tell that he did not quite believe me and he finally said, "Are you sure you are from America?"
Remember the line in the original Raiders of the Lost Ark, "You Americans are always overdressing for the wrong occasions."
One of the things that I have learned on my travels is that Americans have the reputation of packing too much. I have always broken that stereotype. When we went to Ukraine in February of '05, I took 3 outfits. They were all mix and match so it looked like I had more. I also took Woolite and some bungee cords for a makeshift clothesline and washed clothes in the sink every night.
The last trip I took was in March of '09. I traveled through Spain, Portugal and Morocco. It was a 2 week trip. Once again, I had my one carry on with my 3 outfits. I ran in to a young lady from Miami. She had brought a new outfit for every day she was to be gone. She had one large suitcase and a medium sized suitcase and the old fashioned makeup bag. She used everything she brought. I have found her to be in the minority though.
Most people I have talked to have said that they took too much but would rather have too much that not enough.
Not enough? What exactly does that mean? Not enough clothing to cover the body entirely? That would be embarrassing. Not the right formal clothing in case you get invited to the palace for dinner? Also embarrassing. Although I have never met anyone where that situation has actually happened. What does it mean?
One of the things I really like about traveling is to be surrounded by the unfamiliar. If I take everything I own with me, well that is too much of the familiar. I like forgetting about myself, what I own or don't own and seeing a whole new world. I love how I feel. There is no 'me', there is only my eyes and my camera. Everything else does not matter. When I get dressed in the morning, I make sure I do not have any breakfast between my teeth, my hair is combed, my body is covered appropriately for the country I am visiting and then I do not pay attention to myself for the rest of the day. The rest of the day is about the experience of the country.
It is not only a vacation from the daily schedule of home, it is a vacation from me. My daily thoughts, worries, mundane activities are gone if only for a few days. I do not want to worry about what I wore yesterday and what I will wear today. My only concern is the cleanliness of my clothes and that I do not offend. I find that as relaxing as being away from the daily grind.
I wander through the airports of the world and watch travelers grab a cart and haul of their 2-3 suitcases per person and wait in the line at customs. By the time they are through the line I have already checked in to the hotel and started my vacation.
Yes, I have a lot of pictures of me in the same outfits. I look at it this way....I have a lot of pictures of me from all over the world.
One of my favorite travel site is "Don't forget your Toothbrush." You can join for free. Make a list of what you want to take and set up the pre-travel e-mails that will remind of you of what to do. Everything you need is on the list from watering the plants to well, packing your toothbrush.