Welcome to Issue #011 of Sojourn. Each week, I share two original essays to help you slow down, reconnect, and rebuild with intention (hence ‘sojourn’), in a private community that uses travel as a path to reinvention.
THE HEAVY SUITCASE PROBLEM
Growing up, we’re taught to collect: more achievements, more credentials, more proof that we’re “moving forward.”
But have you ever noticed what happens once you pack those achievements?
They don’t feel lighter. They feel heavier.
You get the promotion, add another “client” to your portfolio, sign up for one more thing that looks good on paper. Pretty soon, it’s like dragging a heavy suitcase across cobblestones that you can hear the noise, you feel the pull, and you wonder why you’re so tired when you’re technically “doing well.”
That’s the trap of overpacking life. The suitcase fills, but the journey gets harder.
WHAT CHANGED FOR ME
After a major turning point, I realized my life looked like one of those overstuffed roller bags. Roles, responsibilities, expectations all stacked with identities I no longer needed, nor wanted. Shiny objects I thought would free me actually weighed me down.
And just like travel, it wasn’t the weight itself but carrying things I didn’t actually need.
When I started stripping out what wasn’t mine to carry (old identities, outdated goals, inherited definitions of success), I finally felt lighter. I wasn’t chasing more space in the bag. I was choosing what was worth taking with me.
HOW THIS APPLIES TO STARTING OVER
When you’re reinventing, the instinct is to add:
New projects, new practices, new tools.
But the real move is subtraction.
Take out one “should.”
Leave behind one outdated milestone.
Stop carrying the extra weight of who you thought you had to be.
Because the truth is: no one remembers how many outfits you packed. They remember how present you were on the journey.
THE SHIFT
Instead of asking: What else can I add to my life or business?
Try asking: What can I remove so I have more space to breathe?
Overpacked luggage doesn’t make the trip better, it makes it heavier.
Same with life!
Reinvention isn’t about adding. It’s about carrying less, so you can finally move.
PLACES TO UNPACK
Sometimes the best reset isn’t a room. These destinations invite you to travel lighter on the inside and out because of what they let you practice.
Camino de Santiago — Spain
Days pared down to walking, eating, resting. Stripped of distraction, you discover the pace you actually want to live at.
Kinosaki Onsen — Japan
Ritual bathing, lantern-lit streets, and a culture designed for slowness. A masterclass in quiet presence.
Atacama Desert — Chile
Salt flats, silence, and stargazing nights. The absence of excess makes you notice the smallest detail.
Cyclades Islands — Greece
Wind, stone, and sea. Days marked by swims, siestas, and long tables. You don’t need more. You need to recall what’s always been there.
Bhutan’s Valleys — Himalayas
Villages, temples, and slow treks through misted hills. A country that measures success in happiness, not GDP.
Patagonia — Argentina/Chile
Trails, glaciers, and horizon lines. Vastness recalibrates what feels urgent; walking becomes meditation.
In the end, reinvention isn’t about running toward more—it’s about choosing what’s worth carrying forward. The places that change us most don’t hand us endless options; they remind us that clarity comes from less.
So if your suitcase feels heavy, maybe it’s not because you’re on the wrong path. Maybe it’s because you’re carrying too much of the old one.
Unpack. Choose lightly. Walk on.
~Ana