As I’m preparing for another trip to our place in France, I’m seeing a pattern: Every time I make this trip, I bring less with me. Last time, I traveled without any checked baggage at all, and I’m doing the same this time. I’ve gotten my packing down to a small roll-aboard suitcase — the kind that could fit under most airplanes seats if necessary — and a small backpack. The roll-aboard makes light work of traveling with a relatively heavy work computer, and it can also hold an emergency change of clothes. The backpack has just a jacket, hat, scarf, and a few things to make my flight more pleasant, like earbuds. Most of the things that I do bring along are things that I use every day, so there’s no pressure to start packing any earlier than the night before I leave. In the case of an afternoon flight like today’s, I can pack in the morning. And when I arrive at my destination, without having to make a stop at baggage claim, I may be able to catch an earlier bus from the airport to the city center.
