21. Go on a minimalistic backpacking trip

I take things to extremes sometimes due to my naiveté, and when I saw the word minimalistic, I really thought that’s what people did. I took two month-long Europe backpacking trips, one in 2015 and one in 2017. Both times, I wore one outfit, took one small backpack, and traveled the whole month this way. I had a few undershirts, panties, and socks, which I threw out after 3 times of use, to even minimalize further. I took my phone camera and a small digital camera, some toiletries, makeup, and that was basically it. Both trips were during the wintertime, so even if my outfits were different, only my coat and boots were to show, so I didn’t care to be fancy. One thing I learned from being minimalistic was that it was just SO comfortable not having to carry around so much stuff! I didn’t have to check in my luggage, I didn’t have to wait for the luggage to come out at the airport upon arrival, I didn’t have sore shoulders, I didn’t have to worry about what I was going to wear the next day, and I now had an excuse to buy anything in Europe because it was no longer a souvenir, but a “necessity.” Mind blowing, huh? My first trip though, I ended up buying only one sweater and leggings from Adidas in Budapest because my leggings started to smell. My second trip, I made sure to pack 2 outfits. Minimalistic backpacking trips could be difficult for “first world problem solvers,” but if you haven’t tried it yet, test yourself! Can you survive out of a backpack for a month through multiple foreign countries? I know I can for sure, I’ve done it many times now, and I don’t think I will ever go back to packing suit cases!