Monday
May022011
Living out of a suitcase
Monday, May 2, 2011
I'm always surprised by how little stuff I need to live well when I travel. It makes me wonder about the stuff I leave behind. Do I really need it?
Why do I have it, then?
It makes sense if you think about it. Most of us pack only the very best of what we have, so of course we are happy with our edited selection. I believe that creativity comes out of limitation, and when you are left with less stuff to deal with you are forced to come up with new ways to use it. That's way more fun than sticking with the same old way of doing things.
If this works when you travel, why can't it work every day?
One trick that works for me is that when I come home from a trip I take a look at my closet before I even unpack and try to figure out why I left this stuff behind.
Do I need it? Is it beautiful? Do I care if it's gone?
So many times the answer is no, no, no. And it makes it so easy to find a new home for it.
Why do I have it, then?
It makes sense if you think about it. Most of us pack only the very best of what we have, so of course we are happy with our edited selection. I believe that creativity comes out of limitation, and when you are left with less stuff to deal with you are forced to come up with new ways to use it. That's way more fun than sticking with the same old way of doing things.
If this works when you travel, why can't it work every day?
One trick that works for me is that when I come home from a trip I take a look at my closet before I even unpack and try to figure out why I left this stuff behind.
Do I need it? Is it beautiful? Do I care if it's gone?
So many times the answer is no, no, no. And it makes it so easy to find a new home for it.
Reader Comments (5)
Yay! Someone who shares my weird ideas. When I tell people this, they look at me like I have a second head. But I say it EVERY TIME we go on vacation "Look at how little we can get by on as a family of five...a few sets of clothes, a few books each, a couple of dvds, a few toys, local food and the sparse furniture in most vacation accommodations." I really do wish we could live like that full time. I'm trying!
Oh, I totally get it!
[...] How traveling can help you edit your closet. [...]
Yes, exactly! I've been writing a lot about decluttering lately. I'm moving soon (closer to Boston!) and I've gotten rid of so much that I didn't really need. This is a great way to look at it. :)
I totally agree! I wrote something along those lines when I first started my blog (http://www.closet-coach.com/2009/03/30/take-a-wardrobe-vacation/) and every time I create a packing list for a trip I'm always a little surprised by how short the list can be while still being enough for several days. Not only that, but I usually see a pattern in *what* I pack--if I'm bringing 5 shirts, it's frequently the same 5 shirts out of 10 or 20 or however many that are in my closet.
If only all wardrobe editing could be achieved by taking a vacation! :)