always learning
There are times when it is possible be so enthusiastic about packing light that one leaves behind something that’s really important to pack every. single. time.
Case in point: When we went to Italy in 2015, I limited myself to two pairs of trousers/jeans, a few tops, two pairs of shoes, and so forth. I was strict with my own packing and packed nothing extraneous. Early in our trip, I discovered that I had a split seam in the crotch of one pair of trousers.
Naturally, this was the rare occasion that I did not pack a small sewing kit.
Why did I not pack the small sewing kit that had traveled with me for around 15 years with zero issues? Well, when we flew through Tokyo on our way to Bali a few months before, we had to go through security, even though we had just gotten off a secure flight, and my mini sewing kit was flagged for inspection. The security people were convinced that the tiny, dull scissors in it were a grave danger to everyone. Thus, said teeny, tiny, dull, almost-useless scissors were confiscated from my dangerous person before I could be cleared for my next flight.
Three months later, when I was packing for Italy, I was still so peeved about the lose of those scissors that I decided I would not pack a sewing kit at all. BE YE NOT SO FOOLISH AND PETTY.
So naturally I got a 2-inch split in my trousers within the first few days of our very next trip. Luckily, it was not visible most of the time, so I could still wear them as long as I was careful about how I sat. I went in search of a needle and thread when we were staying in Praiano, but could not find the right specialized Italian store that carried those items. When we moved on to Rome, I made a half-hearted attempt to find needle and thread there, but by that point I had temporarily repaired the inside of the rip with bandaids, so I didn’t put much energy into my shopping quest.
Now I always, always, always travel with a small sewing kit AND duct tape, because one never knows what will need to be fixed along the way.
Even still, to this day, I don’t always get my packing right, and will frequently remove something in a last-minute flurry of downsizing my already-downsized packing list. So now, while I’m traveling, when I find that I need something that I had removed at the last minute, I add it to a list on my notes app to remind me of this the next time I’m packing. Most of the time, I don’t make that mistake again.
What’s a packing lesson that you’ve learned the hard way?
Packing for me is like a jigsaw puzzle. After I come back I assess if I need to adjust for the next trip.
...and do you know that duct (gaffer's tape) trick of folding a length of it in a particular way so you can travel with only six inches of it? (I do not! K does!)