I love travelling. If travelling was free I’d grab my back pack and you’d never see me again. I’d be one of those freelance writers or photographers whose only link to the normal world is their work that appears in magazines or newspapers occasionally. Every day would hold a new adventure and something exciting to discover.

I suppose, while some watched Walter Mitty and wished to be him, I yearned  to be the mysterious photographer he was trying to track down. I wanted nothing more than to be traipsing around the world living like a native in every country I visited. How absolutely incredible would it be to be able to travel the world and witness its wonders first hand without anyone to disturb, interrupt or even locate you.

Imagine how epic it could be if all you had to do was pack a bag and walk off into the mountains and disappear from civilization as we know it. Then reappear later for mere seconds before evaporating again. Like a mirage in the desert or big foot, you would be a mystical occurrence people will always question the existence of.

While I may not be a travelling shadow I have traveled enough to learn some important lessons that have changed my outlook on daily living. If you think I’m being a touch sentimental and dramatic let me show you just how much packing a suitcase can teach you about yourself and life.

For some, packing is shoving everything they consider essential into the biggest bag they can find. These are called The Kitchen-Sink-And-All packers. It doesn’t matter if it’s as trivial as a gold earring or as essential as a fleece jacket for the snowy landscape of Alaska. They’re packing it all because you never know when you may get an invite to a smart dinner party in a secluded igloo somewhere in the north pole. These are the people who never truly see much outside their comfort zone. They are prepared for anything and everything at all times but sometimes they miss the true essence of the experience.

Others have a list of things they need to pack. Perfectly thought out and reasoned, each item is packed to serve a specific purpose. They have the ability to go on an adventure but they control the key points to ensure they are comfortable, relaxed and professional in everything they do. They hate the idea of arriving any where unprepared or short of an essential item. This person packs nothing unnecessary and often has the most efficient method of packing a suitcase. Chances are they also unpack their suitcase when they get to the pre-booked hotel room they are staying in. They are the planners and managers of the world.

Then there’s the artsy types. They’re the dreamers not the thinkers. They take whatever is in the front of their cupboards and hope like hell everything is there. They figure that if anything is missing they can either make a plan, buy a replacement or just wear a different outfit. These are the people who tend to look like they just woke up for ninety nine percent of the holiday and often leave behind half the stuff they should have brought with. These people pack the most whimsical and eccentric items that usually match with nothing and make absolutely no sense at all to anyone else who is travelling with them. Most people think they’d be the lost beach bums but I guarantee they’re always up for a challenge even if it means climbing a mountain in flip flops just to get a picture of the sunset. They are usually the craziest and most random ones in the group and half the time they have a new “brilliant” idea of what to do for the day.

The next person is probably the person I am. This is the book worm. I have literally left outfits at home to fit in some holiday reading material. To me the most important part of the holiday is lazing around and exploring things that intrigue me. I really have no issue with carrying a small duffle bag shoved with the comfiest, most worn out jeans in my cupboard and six t-shirts that probably all look almost exactly the same only to laze around in my costume for most of the day and read for most of the evening. My idea of a holiday is getting as sunburned as I want, finding the coolest things in the area, experiencing local culture and immersing myself in the more romanticized ideas of summer.  Sea sand and the waves are my happy place but so are the pages between the covers of my books. I could probably read just about any where and it was a brilliant holiday if I manage to complete my entire summer reading list.

The last person is the “night before” packer. They somehow manage to miraculously  pack an entire suitcase, flawlessly, the night before. They are able to contemplate and arrange the contents of their suitcase beautifully in the shortest space of time. These are the impulsive travelers. They do this on a regular basis and have well-honed skills when it comes to seeking out a new adventure and throwing themselves head first into the strangest situations. They are well aware that they can adequately prepare for just about anything within minutes. These are the most essential members of any travelling group because they can problem solve and come to everyone’s rescue in the blink of an eye. This is probably the most dependable member and it would not surprise me if the Kitchen-Sink-And-All packers have one of these in their giant bag.

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Regardless of what kind of suitcase packer you are, at the end of the day as long as you are open minded and yearning the life of a nomad travel will always call to your soul. After all, we travel not to escape life but so that life does not escape us.

Adding another book to my suitcase and gearing up for a new adventure,

Brokebella.