The World In A Carry-On

I’ve never written a blog before, so please bear with me (Bare? Bear? Oh, Whatever)

Last year, I did what so many women out there dream of doing- I jumped on a plane and spent two weeks exploring South Africa (after a nasty, drawn-out divorce from an abusive narcissist, mind you, yay me). And while most people who fly across the globe are able to fill a full-size suitcase, a carry-on and have personal items with them (I mean, you’re 10,000 miles away from home, of course you need all the things) I, in fact, did not. The friend I travelled with and I packed just our carry-ons and my camera bag. The idea of checking a bag to go over 10,000 miles just didn’t sit right with me, and to be completely honest, I don’t trust cargo handlers. You’ve seen them, they chuck suitcases and bags around like it’s a shot-put tournament (in fact, why is that even still a thing? c’mon guys)

I packed beyond light- a couple of pairs of convertible pants that could unzip into shorts depending on the weather, a couple of tank tops, a light rain jacket, my Keens, and toiletries. I’ve never been a woman who wears a lot of makeup, so I kept my simple zip-open makeup pouch handy (for photo ops- duh), which only included mascara, eyeliner, foundation, and my single shade of eyeshadow.

Anyway. We hopped on our lovely 14-hour flight to Johannesburg, and off we went. I had never crossed the ocean before that flight and barely slept (off and on, but let me tell you, melatonin- DEFINITELY a must going forward. Lesson learned).

Our first night was spent in a tiny hotel room in the Johannesburg airport. Yes, inside. No car, no Uber, straight down a couple of hallways, and there, by one of the exit doors, was a cute little glass double door to our tucked-away hotel, so convenient. It was quite cozy, and the two beds we slept in were so close to one another they might as well have been the same bed (it’s all good- I’m a cuddler LOL). Luckily, traveling light with just a couple of carry-ons made this a breeze, taking up very little space in our one-night shoebox.

The next morning, after a short walk to our airport gate, we were off to our first stop- Hoedspruit, SA. A tiny little city with an even smaller airport. The flight there from Johannesburg was so quick we quite literally went up and came right back down. As we landed, the game reserve terrain spread out for miles, while giraffes and baboons watched as our little plane hit the landing strip. We all shuffled out of the flying sardine can we were packed in, and just ahead was a small building, covered with fencing and a gate- obviously to keep people in- I mean, to keep the animals out 😉. A single airport guard stood at the entrance to make sure all of us were herded in, and soon we were out in the parking lot on the other side getting a driver to take us to our game lodge.

It didn’t take long before our driver arrived and greeted us warmly- taking our two small bags and placing them in the trunk of his car. Less baggage, less to heave around for everyone.  We climbed in and pulled out of the parking lot, off to our first adventure. The drive itself was an hour, which our driver filled with tales of the little town’s history and fun facts. Case in point, we were told the story about how the name of the town comes from an 1844 story of a man named Dawid Joubert, one of the very first settlers who lost his hat (called a Hoed) in a cloud stream or a storm (called a Spruit), and hence the name Hoedspruit was born.

We spent our first week at the Shiduli Private Game Reserve, chasing the big five across South African terrain every morning and every evening in a jeep with another couple who were from Italy. Over the course of the week, more people would arrive, and soon our little jeep was filled with women and men from all different parts of the world, sharing the excitement in the daily safaris. It was nice not to worry about my wardrobe and a ton of gear hauling. Having just a handful of clothes in a carry-on suitcase made dressing for these safaris pretty easy; there wasn’t much to worry about when it came to the dress code (which takes a bit of a load off the mind when waking up at 4:00 AM to get ready).

We met quite a few amazing humans from all over the world while exploring Hoedspruit’s wildlife via game drive 4x4s. From Sweden to the Netherlands to Italy, we shared experiences and swapped backstories with other women I would have never thought I’d cross paths with in my lifetime. It was incredible to meet these people, and I can’t wait for all the friends that will be made, as our journey in seeing every part of this little beautiful blue marble we live on continues.

Having such small luggage made packing up and getting to the airport to fly down to Cape Town for the second week super easy. We were lucky enough that our hotel in downtown Cape Town had a laundry service, to which I took full advantage of (if you don’t want to spend the money on it, you can always bring single sheets or pouches of detergent from Walmart to wash them yourself. The only downside to doing your own washing is that the air is quite humid down there, and drying takes longer than a few hours (yes, I learned that the hard way).

We did all of our shopping while we explored Cape Town, since the city was filled with trading posts, vendors, and even local artists that lined the streets. The city is absolutely bustling with tourists, shopping, and food. I ended the trip with about as many souvenirs and memories as you can imagine, and fortunately, with having packed so lightly, I had room in my suitcase for most of them while shoving the rest in my camera bag.  

By the end of our two-week adventure on the other side of the world, we had collected enough experiences, stories, and memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Through every flight transfer, driver, and pack-up we had while maneuvering through the beautiful rural towns around South Africa, my biggest companion came in the form of a little teal 19-inch carry-on suitcase that held just enough for me to make memories without any hassle at all.

I learned fast that travelling light is more than just functionality- it’s a mindset as well. Traveling with less does not mean missing out in any way; it means moving freely and making room both literally and metaphorically for all the things that matter: the moments you can tell your friends and family about for all the years to come.

So if you’re a woman dreaming about your own big adventure, remember this: you don’t need a full-size suitcase to take the trip of a lifetime. All you need is a carry-on (and a camera of course) to bring home the memories.