Light Traveling with Slippers
Charlotte kindly bought these slippers for me last year while we were in Costa da Caparica, the small beach and surf community near Almada, south of Lisbon, Portugal. They were very affordable and have proven to be surprisingly durable. So much so, that I’ve been using them more or daily whenever and wherever I’ve traveled. The slippers are lightweight and add a bit of extra comfort, especially when staying in hotel rooms with either scruffy wall-to-wall carpeting or cold, grimy tiles.
What makes this trip to Asia extra interesting for us is that Charlotte and I only have hand baggage with us. We each have a cabin bag (on wheels) and a small backpack.
That’s it.
Not having a big-ass piece of luggage to schlep in and out of trains, planes, buses, taxis, and hotels is, to put it mildly, wonderfully liberating. Kinda like a throwback to those glamorless backpacking days in South East Asia, sans the heavy backpack and with a lot more glamour.
We’ve soon been traveling for two months and moving about with so few things with us has been a lot easier than we initially imagined. When we left Sweden, our bags were neatly packed with about a week’s worth of clean clothes, walking shoes, trainers, and other carefully chosen (and weighed) essentials.
I first thought that not bringing a ton of camera gear would be an unsurmountable challenge. But I’ve missed nothing and instead figured out how to make use of what I did bring with me as creatively as possible. Which is a logical segue (pronounced segway) to how much of my life has played out so far.
Despite all my physical, emotional and intellectual shortcomings, limitations, and deficiencies, I’ve tried to use whatever I do have to make life as bearable, enjoyable, and inspiring as I can. I like to think of myself as being fairly carefree and constantly curious. And some might argue that it’s thanks to my chronic naiveté and an incurable inability to see logical limitations that have allowed me to set and often reach loftier goals and achievements.
Anyway…
When I was in L.A. this past October, my brother Nick gave me a pair of sheepskin UGG slippers/moccasins that were too small for him. They offer considerably more foot support and comfort than the ones I have with me. But they are also way too heavy for this trip. Rest assured, as soon as we return home to the shockingly cold reality of Swedish winter, I‘ll be slipping on those comfy UGGs and packing away my heelless Portuguese slippers. At least until it’s once again time to travel, which according to plan will happen shortly after our homecoming.