Audacious Freedom Live anywhere. Travel everywhere.

One day just before our departure on our new exciting adventure of world travel my husband gave this guy a lift. The two of them chatted about life and this guy gave my husband advice that I have never forgotten: travel light!

Travel light has come to mean different things to me. The most common meaning is to travel with as few things as possible or to collect and buy as few things as possible. However, it has also come to mean don’t get attached to things. They are just things!

It is easy to have theories and rules to live by – but putting them into practice is not that easy. Here is my story of travelling light.

Two suitcases and hand luggage each

When we left South Africa we put all our wedding presents into storage and what we couldn’t fit into two suitcases got given away or sold. It was an amazing feeling knowing that all we owned fitted into 5 boxes and two suitcases. There was no ties, no sentiment and we weren’t weighed down. We were weighed down even less once our boxes of wedding presents all got stolen. They took our gifts but left the boxes – very kind of them.

Two suitcases becomes a car load

Nine months after moving to Aberdeen, Scotland we were on the road. All our belongings fitted into our little car. It was easy to justify why we had so many things – we were studying, convenience, winter and summer clothes etc. What it did show us is that subtly we were starting to accumulate stuff again.

A carload becomes a van load plus..

Our next move 18 months later was an interesting test of our ‘travel light’ theory. It took one car load and one van load to move all our stuff to our new home. How had we managed to buy so much stuff in such a short time that we could no longer move by just packing everything into two suitcases.

Immigration to New Zealand

A container – we needed to hire space on a container to transport our 63 boxes! So we went from a house full to two suitcases when leaving South Africa. And from two suitcases to 63 boxes by the time we left the UK. What is even more puzzling is we always lived in fully furnished houses – ie not only did they come with stoves and fridges, but with plates, cutlery and even dish cloths. So what came over in those boxes? And how much of that stuff do we still have?

Our travel light theory gone awire!

After four years of being in our house I finally unpacked our last box about three months ago and chucked most of it in the dustbin. I hadn’t needed it till then – so the chances of needing after unpacking were pretty slim. Owning a house has meant we have bought a lot of things and I shudder to think how many boxes we would need now if we moved. I guess we would need a whole container!

In theory it would be great to travel light. To not be weighed down with things. But practically we need to live and in living we entertain, we cook, we relax, we have hobbies. All these activities and others have resulted in an accumulation of stuff. So I have compromised and periodically go through what we have and if we haven’t used it in the last six months – out it goes!

In your travels have you been able to travel light or like us have you collected stuff along the way?

It can be chaotic leading up to your departure. It can be as chaotic loading a car for an extended vacation as packing up your entire life in boxes, crates and containers ready for shipment – what is it in us that makes us suckers for punishment?

Here are my ‘before I leave home’ ­survival tips:

1)      There are washing machines abroad – though I like taking clean clothes, it is not a big deal if I have to get them washed during the first couple of days on the road. It is a matter of fact, clothes will get dirty and unless you are wearing disposables it’s inevitable there will be dirty laundry.

2)      Get a house cleaner (domestic cleaning company) – even if you are only going on holiday, why put yourself through the added stress of doing a spring clean? If you are moving, pay someone else to come in and do it – better still get them to do it once you are gone, then the house will be well and truly clean.

3)      Money! If you can set up a bank account in the country you are going to before you get there – then do it, it saves untold hassles. Or else make sure you have your credit cards, traveller’s cheques, and cash until you can get an account and money transferred in.

4)      Spare credit card – in the case of theft have an extra credit card, your credit card and debit card numbers, phone numbers and any other details that will make the whole process of getting money easier.

5)      Copies and more copies of your important papers – don’t leave this to chance! Have everything in hard copies and online copies. For the online copies you can save it in Google docs or in an easily accessible email account such as hotmail, Gmail etc.

Here is a list of important documents:

• birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• academic qualifications
• employment references
• curriculum vitae
• credit references
• all international driver license or permit
• passport – photo page and visa permits [have the contact numbers in case something happens]
• important contact information – your family, banks, consulates, employers, temp accommodation  etc.
• flight tickets (especially if you are travelling for a year – have a copy and contact details)

You will still need to carry all your original documents. If your documents aren’t in English have them translated before you leave. I have a copy of the most important ones certified by the Justice of Peace – this certifies that it is a true copy of the original. It can save so much hassle having a certified copy. Especially if you lose thing or things get stolen en-route to your new destination.

6)      Mail – even if you are only travelling find out receiving post in various areas. There is nothing more exciting than arriving in a strange town after days on the road to find letters and postcards waiting for you. Somehow it makes you feel like you belong. If you have no one that can write to you – then right a postcard to yourself! It is still a great feeling getting post.

7)      Moving your house with you – do your research about what can and can’t go with. Food stuff generally can’t go with! Also make sure you know what customs requires for eg moving to New Zealand all our hiking boots, outdoor equipment, bicycles etc had to be treated and thoroughly cleaned. It can be a costly exercise if the custom authorities decide they need to do the cleaning. If you have a tent (if you are moving) then leave the tent pegs and make sure there is not a blade of grass in your tent – anywhere. Or you will be tentless!

8)      If you are going to a country with the same power wattage as your own country and you are taking computers, sewing machines or anything else that can’t have another plug put on because of a transformer then make sure you get extension plugs. That way you can plug your home country equipment in and only change the plug of the extender plug. Cost less than having to rebuy everything!

9)      Pets – this is a difficult one. I have not travelled with pets, mainly because I have only owned canaries and there is no ways that they would survive long haul flights. And even if they did, I couldn’t bear the thought of doing it to them. If you are taking your pets with, find out the rules – what vaccinations they need, how long quarantine is, can you send them before you go, can they travel on the same flight as you etc. If you are leaving your pets, then give yourself time to find a family that you will be happy leaving them with.

10)   Humour – you need lots of this. People outside your neighbourhood are strange; they do weird things and have no concept of what is important or unimportant to you. Time is especially a strange concept, so often I have been told that tomorrow it will be done – that normally means at least two weeks! If they say a few days count on at least four weeks to get it sorted.

11)   At least one special thing – I have family photos, my art stuff and a note pad. That means no matter where I am, what has happened or how much time I have to waste I have always got something at hand that I love doing, and enriches my time. There is something comforting about holding that sea shell or feeling the bracelet or necklace on your skin of someone who loves you as you deal with an obnoxious, irritating obstacle insisting that you are wrong and they are right.

12)   Don’t underestimate the small things – for eg. Keys, farewells, leftover food, dustbin, recycling, contact details, packing your hand luggage (especially with the security measures in force), closing your utility bill accounts etc. These things can all add up and cause untold headaches if you haven’t thought about them or planned in advance what action you are going to take.

And finally make sure that you do get some sleep and food as your departure date gets closer. It is so easy to get caught in the hype, excitement and stress that you can forget or push yourself. Get the important things done and the rest… well delegate, outsource or enlist friends to help!