All My Bags are Packed…
When it came to packing, it was me being me – a minimalist! Years ago, “Repacking Your Bags” by Richard Leiter, was an impactful resource when a major life transition required reflection and change.
His life tips prevented me from becoming an emotional and materialistic hoarder. Leiter’s work outlined clear distinctions between wants and needs. Every significant life change over the past 25 years resulted in downsizing possessions and removing emotional and mental clutter capable of paralysis.
That carryover made packing for this trip easy – one extra pair of pants, shorts, three tees, one dress shirt, four changes of briefs and socks, rain parka, a single Euro adapter and basic toiletries placed in a hangable toiletry bag were all I needed heading out the door. The smaller backpack stuffed inside the larger one was always ready for daily walks.
I’ll begin this post by saying that my love for Peru goes well beyond the repeated refrain of “amazing food… amazing sunsets”.
My research indicated that traveling in most European countries would be relatively safe.
To what extent one plans specific traveling details is as personal as how one organizes a kitchen pantry.
Oregon was in my rearview mirror the beginning of August, 2019. Over a month of visiting daughters and grandkids on the East Coast would be significant in setting the tone for the right mindset.
Being somewhat of a number’s freak, my greatest pleasure was doing the detailed planning for this trip two months in advance.
My travel goals were simple. Get the body into good shape, create a trustworthy, easy-to-follow travel itinerary, and tip the social, emotional and mental scales in my favor.