how much

Montpellier, France, 2025. Imagine living in a city so bike friendly that plumbers get around on bikes, not in trucks.

I’ve mentioned before that my husband and I are discussing moving abroad. We’ve had countless discussions since the 2000s, and they’ve ramped up considerably in the past 5-6 years as we near closer to retirement.

We’ve done a lot of research: a lot lot lot lot lot of research. We have discussed and are still discussing locations, timelines, and logistics. And hoo boy, those logistics are many and complicated. It’s not just moving to a new country and all the associated paperwork and tasks, it’s also dismantling one’s current life, including jobs, downsizing a family home and its contents, and so many other responsibilities. Frankly, it can be overwhelming to consider the details. And I say that as someone who adores details, thrives on details, and already has lists of details for the as-yet-unplanned move abroad.

One idea we are considering is doing a year of slow travel once we’re ready to make the move. Stay a month or two in one location, then move on to a new location, and so on. I’d ask you to guess what one detail my brain is stuck on, but I’ll spare you that effort and just tell you:

How would we pack for a theoretical year of slow travel? Specifically, how much would we pack?

This is truly the pickiest of details and things to concern myself with, but for whatever reason, it’s the one that swirls in my brain. Because as a committed lightweight, carry-on-only traveler, even I can’t envision living out of one 40-liter backpack for a year. I know that I could do it, but I don’t want to do it. But nor do I want to load up a couple of large checked bags that I have to lug around every time I get on a train or plane.

I think the answer is somewhere in the middle: my favorite travel backpack, a small rolling bag, and a personal item. That combo would still be manageable during transport, yet I could pack extras that I wouldn’t normally take on vacation. Extra clothes, extra shoes, other miscellaneous items that I would want with me as we slowly made our way around the world.

In case it’s not obvious, yes, I am an overthinker. No, I’m not at all apologetic or upset about it. And yes I do know that I could pick up what I need along the way, but that’s harder to do when one’s baggage is limited.

Anyway, I’m curious to know what other people think. If you were going to travel for a year, how much would you pack? And, of course, where would you go?