Packing for a New Decade
I am not particularly superstitious but there is a tradition from my natal Venezuela that I continue to adapt every New Years’s Eve. It does not matter where I am, once the clock hits midnight and I hug family and friends - which inevitable always makes me cry happy tears - I gulp down twelve grapes, each representing a wish for the following year and sip some champagne. Right after comes the tradition I stick to with fierce determination, not because I strongly believe in its magic, but because I see it as a symbolism of telling the universe that I am ready for it. So, regardless of the weather, in the first minutes of the New Year I go out and do a small walk outside the door with a luggage to symbolize all the trips I want to take. I think I have only missed it one year, and coincidentally was my most “staycated” year ever. So just in case…
I was making plans for our New Year’s Eve celebration I started thinking about what I wanted for 2020. I do certainly want to travel, always. However, I found a symbolism on that tradition that made me think deeply on not only what I want but what I need to learn.
Traveling light has never been my forte, I admit it. For me traveling with a carry on seems so limiting. I am not that organized. I like to plan but always leaving room for spontaneity which means I like having options in case I change my mind. So the idea of only carrying one shirt or one necklace is so confining. I am getting better though.
Big or small, traveling always requires to pack what we will need and carry our baggage. As I am ready to start my journey into a new year and a new decade, I ask myself not only where I want to go but what is the baggage I take with me?
There are things that are heavy, and there are things that are small, and there are things that are like life-saving medications we always need to have with us. Sometimes we cannot just go as light as we wish but there is no way around it: we need our baggage. How do we become efficient to take whatever is necessary and leave whatever we might not need? My goal is not to travel empty-handed, my goal is to move through this journey as light as possible. Besides, I envision 2020 as a one way trip. There is no return, so whatever I leave at the door on 2019, stays there. I won’t come back for it, most likely, so I have to pack wisely and very efficiently. I always have to leave space to fit souvenirs and whatever I might like on my trip. I don’t want the extra weight, I want the extra space. I want the abundant mentality, not the scarcity. I want to visit new places, I want to meet new people, I want to learn, I want to grow and sometimes we need to start our journeys, ready or not.
As I was attending my last yoga class of the year I heard the teacher talking about practice being not only about what we want to learn, but also what we need to unlearn. Moving lighter, without the weight of heavy baggages under my shoulders is one of my biggest “unlearnings" of 2020 for me. Love the baggage, take it with me if I have to, drop it if I might not need it and leave space for the things I truly want.
So New Decade, New Year, New me. I am ready for the journey, a trip that starts tonight, with half eaten grapes, champagne, beautiful company, a suitcase and a strong desire to see the world and who I become on it. I am so grateful for all my growth and beautiful encounters in 2019, but baby, I am ready for more. So Bon Voyage and a wonderful, light and adventurous New Year and New You for all!
