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I think I remember this song. It seems familiar. YouTube recommended it based on other songs I was listening to. It was clearly popular. Do you remember it? What do you associate it with?

I recently travelled to East Asia for two weeks. I wanted to share a couple things I learned.

Things I packed that I didn't use:

• dress pants/trouser, instead I wore my button-down shirt with khakis.
• shorts, I just don't wear shorts, even on a warm sunny day. I wore lose-fitting long pants instead

Things I was glad I packed:

• two wallets. I had a passport wallet with large bills and a backup credit card. This usually stayed safe in my one-bag in the hotel room. I also had a slim wallet for a credit card, a transit card, a hotel room key and local cash.
• swimsuit. I brought a speedo and a small micro-fibre towel (that I didn't need) and Swedish-style goggles. I only swam once, but it was nice that I could. I forgot my swimcap, which is required in Asia.
• first aid kit. I had polysporin, hydracortizone, vaseline, bandages, Advil, tylenol and an antihistamine, all of which I used. I also had gauze, antiseptic wipes, antibacterial medication and rehydration salts, none of which I used, but which didn't take much space.
• travel router. Once I connected to hotel wifi, all the family's devices worked as though they were at home (because I gave it the same name as our home network). It even had a VPN, which felt safer and sometimes bypassed site blocking.
• international multi-plug with USB ports. Great for charging up to five devices, in any country.

Things I wished I had:

• SIM tool. Buying a cheap data-only SIM card is awesome. Having a SIM tool becomes important. A paperclip could work, but I didn't have one, either.
• shoulder bag. I used a small backpack as a daybag and I looked like a tourist. (That, and being white in touristy spots.)

What made people mad:

• My extended family got so mad about my carry-on sized, backpack-shaped one-bag. They were mad it didn't have wheels and a handle, mad that I was carrying it on my back, and mad that I didn't pack more stuff. Maybe it made them feel stupid? Especially when I could manage my own bags and help with theirs. It's so irrational.
• I was mad when someone threw away my disposable water bottle. And when I left my first aid kit in my one-bag instead of keeping it in my daybag. So much, that I made a list of things I wanted to bring with me in my daybag every day.

Day bag:

• jacket, hat, sunglasses
• wallet, with enough cash for the day and a transit card
• first aid kit, feminine hygiene
• hand sanitizer
• tissues
• water bottle
• phone charger / power bank
• guide book and map, but these are both on my phone

Thoughts? Questions?

I'm writing this partly because I think others might be interested, partly because I want to know what others think of my setup, and partly because I'm going to upgrade my hardware and need to review my setup so that I can re-create it on the newer hardware.

I have an old 2009 iMac at home that wasn't being used anymore, so I installed Ubuntu server 2022.04 LTS. I have two printers, so I installed the CUPS manager, which allows my to print wirelessly from iPad, iPhones and my MacBook Air. For media, I run PlexMediaServer (video) and Navidrome. For content, I run Transmission, which I can manage from a web browser. For e-books, I use calibre which I access via a web browser (on my iPhone or a Kobo). For coding, I've installed Nginx, MariaDB and PHP.

My router has a built-in VPN, but I'd like to install WireGuard on the server. I'd also like to be able to collect and manage my family's photos. For now, I use MacOS Photos, but since we rarely plug our phones into the computer to sync them, they are usually only backed up to iCloud.

What else should I consider?

When I’m unhappy, I feel like I’m doing life wrong. I’d rather be happy. But is happiness the point of life, or is there more to it? If I pursue happiness, mine first then for those around me, is that selfish? But if there’s a bigger purpose, then what about people with Alzheimer’s or dementia who can’t recall recent experiences or make plans?

I packed my Farpoint 40 for two weeks in Alaska. It was more full than I would like. In order to fit my dress shoes, I put three pairs of socks (rolled) in each shoe.

What do you do to save space?

“Take a very small travel bag, a guidebook, a pair of sandals, standard hygiene items and relevant medicines, disposable earplugs, a few changes of simple clothes, one relatively nice outfit, a flashlight, sunglasses, your smartphone, a daypack and sturdy walking shoes. Anything else can be purchased along the way.” Rolf Potts, Vagabonding, p. 209

Rick Steves has been taking American tour groups through Europe for years (decades?). He only allows one bag that is carry on size, and he describes his reasoning.

You don’t need to pack everything on the list, but don’t pack anything that isn’t on the list.

I originally learned about one bag travel at onebag.com, by Doug Dyment. It's a great resource. I probably found that website after reading Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. I highly recommend it. Then I bought an Osprey Farpoint 40 and although I don't travel as much as I'd like, when I do I try to restrict myself to just that bag and maybe a personal item.

I love seeing other people's packing lists, hearing about travel, what worked and what didn't, and even seeing knolling spreads. Happy travels!