It all started when I was coming home from a visit to a friend. We had gone on a bit of a shopping spree and although I was joyous when I was able to zip up my already stuffed carryon, that was short lived when I discovered I wasn’t able to lift the carryon into the overhead bin on my own.

I graciously accepted help from another passenger and then embarrassed, retreated to my seat. Not long after, I embarked on a 3 week visit to Switzerland, where I would need everything from shorts to sweaters plus hiking gear and gluten free snacks. I sighed with relief when the suitcase checked in at the airport at 2 oz below the limit.

Clearly, I had to do better. After all, people backpack all over Europe with limited luggage. After some trial and error, I’ve come up with a system that works!

My first big test of the travel light system came in February 2017, when I had an opportunity to travel to Australia for 10 days. I was tagging along with one of my sons who was there for a conference, and the second bedroom in the 2-bedroom apartment his company rented was up for grabs. It was summer there (as opposed to winter where I live!) and the opportunity to spend time in Broadbeach was too tempting to turn down. I’m adamant about handling my own luggage and my carryon backpack, eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible, was perfect.

The challenge came when I decided to take a side trip to Sydney via Tiger Air and stay in the Hostelling International hostel in Sydney. My trusty backpack carryon suitcase was over the weight and size limit for avoiding baggage costs. What had been a remarkably cheap flight would double in cost because of baggage. Could I skinny down my items to fit in a smaller bag and come in under the 15lb weight limit? Well, indeed I could. I purchased a Patagonia Lightweight Travel Tote Pack 22L which has straps for both a backpack and tote bag.

Although the side trip was only a couple of days, the weather ranged from pouring and damp to sweltering. Coupled with the clothing I wore on the plane, I only needed a couple of changes. I learned the hard way that a compact umbrella was a nice thing to have. I ended up buying an inexpensive one and left it in the ‘free’ pile at the hostel for the next traveler.

But all in all, the system worked. In addition to the compact umbrella, I increased my packing list to include a small extension cord with multiple outlets and a lightweight bag to hold my clothes when showering to keep them off the floor. I also learned that my decision to leave my Surface 3 back in Broadbeach was a good one. I was too busy to spend time hanging out on the computer, and I just used my iphone when I needed to look something up or read via the Kindle app.

This trip was really the turning point in how I traveled. Over the past couple of years, I’ve learned what I need to bring and what I can do without. The trip to Australia was the first time I put it all in practice. This blog is about passing on what I’ve learned and encouraging women of all ages – and especially those over 60 – to shed their inhabitations about solo travel. Learning how to pack light so I can easily handle my luggage has made all the difference.

See the next posts for a Three-Part Series on Packing Light.