My greatest progress in traveling isn't learning to travel light, but finally learning not to get angry at my clothes.
Is your suitcase packed full again?
I hadn't even had a chance to answer when my sister had already opened my suitcase.
She flipped it twice, pulled out a small object, and weighed it in her hand.
Are you bringing this travel garment steamer now?
Hmm.
Is it necessary?
I didn't explain at the time.
Because I know, explanations are useless.
She will give me the answer herself in two days.
Indeed.
The next morning, I was sitting by the window drinking the hotel's mediocre but free coffee when two knocks came from outside the door.
Hey, can I borrow that for a second?
I deliberately pretended to be ignorant.
Which one?
The travel garment steamer—the one that shoots out steam.
I couldn't help but laugh.
Didn't you say it wasn't necessary yesterday?
She rolled her eyes as she took the machine: "Yesterday was yesterday."
At this point, the matter is actually over.
Because I'm too familiar with the plot that follows.
Every time we travel together, someone always says at first that bringing a travel garment steamer is unnecessary. But by the next day, they're already lining up to borrow it.
I don't even remind them anymore.
Sometimes experience teaches better than a ten-minute lecture.
When I was young, I always thought it was okay to just make do.
Strangely enough, I was never like this before.
I have a bad habit when packing my luggage.
To be more precise, it's laziness.
I just fold my clothes however they end up.
As long as everything fits.
If the zipper closes smoothly, it means I consider the packing a success.
As for What they look like after I unpack...
That's a problem I'll need to deal with in the future.
When I was young, I thought this was called being spontaneous.
Looking back now, this is just making things harder for your future self.
A crumpled shirt changed my travel habits
The worst time was when I went to Seattle.
My flight was delayed, and hotel check-in was also late.
We also made plans with friends to have brunch the next day.
After showering, I hummed a tune as I opened my suitcase and pulled out the blue shirt I'd planned to wear.
I just stood there staring at it for about five seconds.
Then I held it up again and stared at it for another five seconds.
Finally couldn't help but laugh.
I would believe it if someone told me this piece of clothing had just finished a wrestling match inside a suitcase.
Every inch of it was wrinkled.
The shoulders were wrinkled.
The sleeves were wrinkled.
The front was wrinkled.
The back was wrinkled too.
As if they had conspired together, not leaving a single place untouched.
I looked at the mirror and said to myself, "Alright, you win."
Later, when friends saw me, their first words weren't a greeting.
They said, "Did you sleep in this shirt last night?"
I'm stubborn.
It's called natural texture.
They said, "Cut it out."
We laughed all the way.
It was from that time on that I seriously got rid of a habit.
Not learning how to fold clothes again.
I've tried.
I've also tried learning from those online videos.
Roll it up.
Clip it in place.
Put it in a packing cube.
Then I'd unpack, the clothes still had their own ideas.
I gave up.
Some things, instead of trying to prevent them from happening, it's better to prepare a solution so that if they do occur, you can handle them easily.
Later, I started carrying a travel garment steamer with me.
Not because it makes travel more sophisticated.
But because it made me refrain from saying one thing: "If only I had known."
This feeling, Anyone who's traveled a few times would probably understand.
Later I realized that convenience isn't about saving effort, but about saving worry.
I used to think that traveling meant packing as little as possible.
Later I realized that what truly affects one's mood throughout the day is often not whether there's one more or one less piece of luggage.
but rather those seemingly insignificant little troubles.
Should I change into something else because it's wrinkled?
Notice it looks bad before heading out—should I spend another half hour fixing it?
What should have been a five-minute fix, the travel garment steamer has saved me from constantly worrying about these little things.
Travel inherently involves many uncontrollable factors.
The flight will be delayed.
The weather will change.
The itinerary may be adjusted temporarily.
Take care of the small things ahead of time., don't leave them for your future self.
Now, I carry not more, but just the right amount.
Now when packing, I no longer blindly pursue "light travel."
but rather focus on what items will actually be useful during the journey.
Some things may only be used once or twice throughout the entire journey.
But when it's truly needed, what it brings is not convenience, but peace of mind.
No need to look for an iron at the last minute.
Don't worry about the hotel lacking equipment.
I have my travel garment steamer.
Don't let a few wrinkles ruin your day.
Many travel experiences eventually turn into judgments.
What's worth saving.
What isn't.
Now I'm certain that anything that makes me feel a little more at ease before leaving the house each day deserves a place in my suitcase.
After all, the greatest advancement in travel has never been learning to pack your suitcase fuller—or emptier.
Instead, learn to compromise less and dwell less on "if only," and spend more time on the scenery truly worth remembering.
