I wore the same pants every day

Right after walking my first Camino, I traveled to Miami to give a talk about the huge impact that experience had on my life and my work. 

One of the biggest challenges I faced while getting ready for that trip was deciding what to pack. Since I had to carry everything in my backpack, I was very mindful of how much I included. Before I left, I ruthlessly cut some items because they didn’t seem worth their weight. 

In my pack were two hiking outfits. Just two outfits that made up the majority of my wardrobe for two months.  

At first this seemed a little weird. And really boring. Especially once I realized there was one pair of pants I preferred and started wearing those every day. #onepairofpantslisa 

Soon I started to appreciate having fewer choices. It made things so much simpler and easier. It saved so much time. It saved so much thinking. Which freed me up to pay even more attention to the journey I was on. 

Having less was absolutely liberating. 

After I finished my talk in Miami, several audience members came up to tell me how this idea impacted them. I could see them making connections to simplifying things in their own lives. 

When you make things simpler for yourself, you’re free from the weight of the unnecessary and less important. You have headspace and bandwidth to focus on what you truly love. 

I say all this to confess: my suitcase for this year’s trip is bloated beyond belief. (Yes, I’m bringing a suitcase - I always do when the Camino is part of a larger trip.)  

I realize I came at this with the idea that this was a 5-week vacation, rather than 5 weeks of walking with some vacation built in along the way.

Gah!

The moment I finish writing this (a few weeks in advance), my intention is to unpack EVERYTHING and jettison at least one-third of it. Wish me luck 😁