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It was the brides idea, in fact, to travel with one suitcase.

Cheaper cost, less hassle and a more experience-focused trip are the top reasons why travelers tend to pack light. That is to say, traveling with lots of luggage can have a detrimental effect on a travelers’ cultural immersion.

Would you like to appear unassuming, welcomed into a new city and treated as a local? Pack light. Would you like a target on your back as a tourist while you unattractively lumber two suitcases across ostensibly soniferous 1,000 year old cobblestone roads at 6am? Don’t pack light.

The groom’s only qualm with the idea was that he did not think it possible for his new bride. He suggested two bags, as a safely measure (perhaps she would like to purchase items to bring back to the States, he suggested), to avoid the breakdown when his bride realized her suitcase did not, in fact, hold the same properties as the carpet bag of the magically maximalist, Mary Poppins.

PIN IT

It would, the bride claimed, be possible with packing cubes. Packing accoutrements like packing cubes, mini refillable cosmetic bottles and jars, carry-on bags that double as garments bags and shoe caddies, and even a well-chosen traveling jacket or outfit are common hacks travelers use now a days to avoid paying the extra fees luggage racks up at the airport.

Two days after the wedding, June 25, shall be the day of judgement.

The bride and groom will be taking a flight up to the armpit of America, JFK, boarding an Italian budget flight, Neos, and flying red-eye across the Atlantic to Milan. Will they have one suitcase between them, or two, or three?

No one can know for sure.

The bride and groom will be taking a flight up to the armpit of America, JFK, boarding an Italian budget flight, Neos, and flying red-eye across the Atlantic to Milan. Will they have one suitcase between them, or two, or three? No one can know for sure.

Two days after the wedding, June 25, shall be the day of judgement.

The bride and groom will be taking a flight up to the armpit of America, JFK, boarding an Italian budget flight, Neos, and flying red-eye across the Atlantic to Milan. Will they have one suitcase between them, or two, or three? No one can know for sure.

A quick look through their itinerary, however, might give readers a clue.

Before the honeymoon even begins, it was the grooms request that the couple book a tour at San Siro Stadium, the home of AC Milan and Inter Milan.

The couple will drive down to the Tuscany region, the groom at the wheel and his wittle helper at his side, to a private apartment in a multi-suite villa in Monte San Savino, a town in the province of Arezzo, for four nights. A wonderfully walkable region, the couple intends to take full advantage of the hilly landscape both on foot and bicycle.

Fun fact: Air conditioning is not particularly popular in Italy, especially when booking budget accommodations, much to the brides chagrin. She laments her husband-to-be dislikes seafood so much and hopes he will remain when he wakes to find his wife has the bloated skin of a parboiled blowfish from their sweat-drenched sleep. Eager to avoid such an outcome, the bride simply suggested bringing a compact air conditioner on their trip. The groom felt the need to step in to remind her of the “one suitcase” goal, and was gratefully assisted by the villa’s property manager who offered to provide an additional fan to blow the hot air around during their stay. Many thanks to him.

A few pounds lighter, the couple will head to Florence. Jenny will kick a bucket list item to see Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia (and enjoy an air-conditioned accommodation). Florence is also known for their leather goods; Jenny intends to endeavor.

Grotta Guista in the province of Pistoria will be their final accommodation spot. The couple has booked three nights at the Grotta Guisti Thermal Spa Resort where Brett plans to explore the deep, underground and mildly terrifying but astoundingly beautiful grottos. Just Brett. Not Jenny. (Brett says, “Or so she thinks,” to which Jenny gives him a squinty-eyed stare.) On a day trip to Pisa, Brett will pretend to hold up the leaning tower of Pisa as if it’s a leaning tower of “Chees-a” before they continue to the coast for a final afternoon on the beach.

The couple will be renting a car for their trip to easily take day trips and move around the less populated areas more easily. And, of course, to transfer their (as of this writing) one suitcase.

In response to these turn of events, the editor finds it necessary to offer the readers of The Laffien Times some tips for packing lightly.

7 Tips to Pack Light (and Avoid the Same End)

Think Ahead. Plan Ahead. In the best case scenario, plans and activities are already set and outfits/accoutrements can be chosen accordingly and with great care. Aim for versatile pieces, t-shirts that pair well with those shorts and that skirt; dresses to be worn with formal heels or walking shoes. A good rule of thumb is to plan out at least one active outfit, one highly active outfit liable to get dirty or excessively sweaty, one versatile “dress-up” outfit, one bathing outfit, and one comfortable outfit — using pieces interchangeably for all. 

Stick to what’s comfortable. When travel is uncertain, or the traveler unprepared, it should be advised to pack only what is familiar and comfortable. Bring what is absolutely certain to be worn; leave the outfit that has been sitting in the closet for two years. A practical guideline, if any hemming or hawing precedes the decision to pack an item of clothing or accessory, leave it be. 

Bring detergent. One of the greatest stumbling blocks to packing lightly, particularly for long trips, is the need for clean clothes. Though small, undergarments and rolled up socks can take up a fair amount of space and need to be monitored. The discerning budget traveler should bring their own detergent to hand wash laundry in the sink or bathtub when necessary. For a full step-by-step guide to doing so, please refer to “How to Get Free Laundry at Your Five-Star Hotel”. 

Packing cubes. When properly used, packing cubes work wonders to both reduce and compress what’s packed. The traveler can pack individual outfits in various cubes, or keep undergarments in one, bottoms in another, accessories in another, etc. The magic of these is that they limit how much of one thing one brings. 

Condense Toiletries. Take only the absolute essentials, and if inexpensive enough, purchase once arrive at the travel destination. Otherwise, bring only the quantities needed for the trip. Leave the seldom-used serum behind. If it hasn’t been used consistently by now in a daily routine, it’s not likely to be of much use on a trip.

Go Shopping. Is the trip is going to be full of spontaneous activities? Are certain accommodations yet to be booked? Is the weather going to be unpredictable or unfamiliar? If fashion is of no concern, see “Stick to what’s comfortable.” For the fashion-conscious traveler, it is recommended to pack extremely light with only the essentials (undergarments, sleepwear, every day leisure, general go-to outfits), purchasing whatever else is needed as it’s needed at the travel destination. 

Keep the Extra Room. When all the essentials have been packed, and a little bit of room seems to be left in the suitcase, a traveler might be attempted to think, “Ooh, I can fit this.” Stop. It’s a slippery slope and one from which it is not easy to return.

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Authors Note: Thank you for reading my article and I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to hold down those little clapping hands till they hit 50 and leave your thoughts or links to articles you’ve written or think might be of interest. If you’d like to see more of my writing, check out the similar posts below.