It can be really overwhelming trying to plan and pack for an international trip that will span several weeks. I have learned (the hard way) that I should be practical and do only a carry-on bag. I know that I will need to haul my bags around on multiple flights and ferries. I’m doing multiple edits on the thing that (I think) I absolutely HAVE to take.

Traveling these days requires a lot of tech, including multiple chargers, adapters, cords. This takes up a significant amount of space on its own – and must be a part of carryon (as reinforced with the recent travel disasters last month).

Then I hit an impasse – I can get almost everything into a carryon except…..MY BOOKS. This is my weakness. One of my greatest joys when traveling is to immerse myself in a book while sitting on a beach bed under an umbrella. Throughout the year, I collect a few books that I want to read on the trip – several that take place in Greece and give me a peek into the history/culture of the location. I’ve tried using a Kindle, but I miss the experience of holding a book that retains the coffee drips, the suntan lotion fingertips, the dog-eared pages. When I travel, I become a voracious reader. As I dig in, I finish a book every two days and as the trip goes on I actually get anxious as I anticipate finishing the books that I’ve brought along. Yes, as I finish each one I leave it behind or pass it on to another traveler. Yes, there are small bookstores on these islands but I long for the books that I’ve been curating for several months. I admit – it is a bit ridiculous and completely counter to my mantra of traveling light…but these books feed my soul along the way. Looking like it will be a checked back for me so that I can experience this: