About two weeks ago a friend from Rome called me, informing me that she was coming to Milan for a week. When I first saw her getting out of the train, I immediately got the feeling that there was something wrong with the picture. She had no suitcase! All she had was bulky beige purse with a long strap, which was hanging from her shoulder.

When I asked her where her luggage was, she just smiled at me and said that she had everything she needed with her. “Everything” included some  under ware, 2 t-shirts, 1 pair of shorts, a shawl, a swimsuit, a pair of slippers, a toothbrush, a mouse pad (a souvenir from Rome for me), some make-up and a camera.

Impressively enough my friend stayed with me the whole week and never once did I hear her say, “I wish I had brought another t-shirt with me “or “Why didn’t I pack an extra pair of shoes?”

It got me thinking, how much I actually over pack every time I travel somewhere (even if it is just for a week end) and how simpler and less stressful my trips would be if I packed in a minimalist way (no more struggles with heavy suitcases, no worries about leaving something behind, no need to spend hours packing).

What do you think? Are you a minimalist traveler or someone, who prefers to take an extra sweater ‘just in case’?

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