Whoever says a lady can’t pack light then photographer Jill Paider has proven them wrong for being the first lady to travel to 91 countries with just a small traveling bag.
That is so hard to believe because of course, women are known to have different bags and shoes to match their different outfits so, they can’t leave them behind. They tend to bring along three to four boxes to a two-day trip.
Despite having to carry her work equipment, Jill had only a small bag throughout her travels as she took shots of art, architecture, and cuisine.
Her reason for documenting her trips as she told Travel + Leisure is that ;
“Places change so much over time. For example, in China, entire neighborhoods are gone and there are new ones to visit that weren’t there before. It seemed important in our rapidly changing world to document those places in something more permanent than Instagram or social media.”
Out of the 100 countries, she’s been to, she told the magazine that she visited 91 of them with only a carry-on bag.
Jill thinks it’s better to pack light because “it’s important to have the ability to carry your own things. In certain countries, you’re in a small car, or even on the back of a motorcycle, so traveling light is critical.”
You might be wondering how she knew exactly the most important things to pack and what to leave. Here’s what she did;
“I start with a master checklist that I print out every time to be sure I have all the basics—vitamins, medications, toiletries, adaptors, chargers, etc.
“Then I think about what I’ll need based on climate, temperature, functions I’ll attend, and what I’ll be doing.
“Like most of us, I lay things out and then eliminate some as I go.”
In order to be elegant, she takes a blouse or blazer which is a bit more stylish, because this is what people notice. For everything else, she chooses different layers of clothing (t-shirts, tank tops, shirts) which are thin and light.
And what about shoes? She chooses boots which are comfortable enough for her to be able to walk all day long, yet also to be elegant in the evening. Ultimately, the photographer only takes the essentials and nothing more.
This should inspire you to pack as light as possible on your next trip. Take only important things while leaving out the unimportant things. During your trip, you do not have to bring everything with you, drop the unnecessary baggage.
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