I packed for a TWO WEEK vacation in a country I have never been to, all into a carry-on suitcase and a purse. I wanted the vacation to be open to new experiences, so I left behind anything that tied me to everyday duldrums. The way I looked at it, if there was anything I forgot, chances are I would find it in one of the cities we visited (and I’d get to practice my Italian). The only thing I truly didn’t anticipate was the desire to have a set of travel cutlery…and I couldn’t find those in the local shops, not the end of the world, and it did not spoil the vacation! Having so few clothes, and weird weather, we had to be creative…washing all the easy light clothes in the sink in the evening kept life simple, and there was only one laundromat visit for the heavier things.

To be fair though I have had some practice at packing bare necessities as light as possible, I like to go camping (real camping with no plumbing). And travelling to a civilized place like Italy was WAY easier than packing for camping (all the food, ice, water, bedding, fuel, dry stuff, wet stuff, medical stuff…..)