Whenever i travel i receive questions such as, what OOTD (Outfit of the day) did you bring? what is your color pallet? What are your must have items? Honestly i don't have those since 2018 except for what are really essentials! Before i used to bring blower, dryers, towels, toiletries and ect, but now i always check if my hotel does provide one, or should i say i ensure that the hotel must have those for me to choose and booked it.
As to the OOTD's, I don't mind wearing the same cloths and the same color, perhaps am always wearing black or my wardrobe are mostly 95% black very basic cloths. Proud to say that from 6 door wardrobe i only have 2 doors wardrobe and am never running out of outfit. I save time and energy choosing what to wear.
Before minimalism, i used to carry almost 80kgs per trip per way! Am not kidding when i say its 80kgs! Normally whenever i go home to Philippines for may annual vacation i have regular 40kgs allowed from the airlines. But i always need to add additional 40kgs and take note its not even enough most of the time i need to pay over baggage fee!
Looking back and remembering those days, i am often confuse what's inside my bag and its and often times i haven't open them or not even used them during my trip. Perhaps its all random stuff or just in case to be used items. Am a worry frick when i travel, before i felt that i need to put more inside my bag "just in case i need them" and when i arrive at my destination, being shopaholic myself i need to buy more and more items.
This is my second time traveling as minimalism. My 1st minimalism travel was back in 2019 when i travel from Philippines to Singapore and back to Qatar. It was a huge change, i felt so light and i can freely move at the airport! What a wonderful feeling carrying a cabin size bag and backpack only. I even had a time to read at airport!
Today, I travel again for 10 days trip Doha to Dubai, and guess what am only carrying 1 cabin size luggage at 11.3kgs! For me this is achievement! And i really would like to share the benefits of traveling as minimalism. Of course doing it was not easy for you to archive comfortability, and it didn't happen overnight. It takes a lot of determination and struggle for me to be able to achieve all of it. So let me share to you advantage of traveling as minimalist.
1. Save money
In many airlines there's a lot of options where in you can travel light, which means that if you have less luggage's you will get significant discount on your flights. Many minimalist or light travelers use it to their advantage and its really beneficial and cost saving.
2. Intentional Gift
Before minimalism whenever i go to other country i used to buy random souvenir and just randomly give it to my friends, although this time i still shop around for common souvenir like (key holders, magnets and ect) i did not exert much effort on buying bulk of that nor stress out on putting it to my baggage and do back and fort zip to suck it in. I left Qatar with around 11kgs and return to Qatar at around 14kgs! What an achievement.
I shop around of course and only but intentional gift for the people that i would like to give gift with and i see to it that its really what i would like to give to them. This way it would special and personalize, i am not a big gift giver but i should say i love giving present to the people that was dear to me.
3. Side trips
Having no luggage to worry on will give you ample of time to enjoy the things around you, relax before your flight by having a good cup of coffee in a cool café, there are a lot of good restaurant that you can enjoy while at the airport and you can only do that when you have no luggage to carry on, it was a huge joy to see and discover hidden gems of places
When you only have your hand carry to worry then you can try free tour from Airports. There's alot of amazing free thing to see at the airport. Literally taking off the luggage's from your hand will help you be worry free. On contrary having too many luggage's will burden you plus the fact that you need to carry it, its heavy. Although i have observe that in many places now a days they have this pay in counter where you can leave your item but this is a plus cost. And i don't want to pay for that as minimalist.
I remember the day that i have to do work and that was a very stressful night because am dealing with something huge for task, then while at Dubai Train i remember the Al Saeed Area which is highly recommended to visit with, because i only have my should bag with me, i suddenly decided to stop by and boom, am there enjoying and wandering around, it was freeing!
4. Live and enjoy the the present
During the time that i am maximalist, i often visit places and end up carrying so many items considering its a souvenir or it was a gift. I felt that i need to buy all of them, i am always in search for the best things and best items to buy it makes me felt to much stress and i can't focus on enjoying the scenery, and the moment.
During this trip i am lost in the moment, it was wanderlust, i felt like i belong here, that i have to seize the moment and be present i only need to capture photos and have fun. I had a chance to just explore carrying a very light bag. My foot is moving! it was an excitement to walk at every step.
So is minimalist traveling your cup of tea? Let me know!
