Today’s question: What are your travel essentials for your chosen destination(s) ?

If you have lived abroad more than once you have certainly learned to pack light and to be detached from material possessions.

If you’ve never had the experience of packing your life in a suitcase or two, I’ll tell you what it looks like: the first time, you think it’s impossible and you think you need much more than you actually do and things will never fit (doesn’t that suitcase look smaller inside?).

You have to let go of things!

When I left home for the first time, I did a complete clean up as I packed. I donated, threw away and even burned stuff. It was a great ritual that helped me let go and set out to create a new life.

While abroad, I learned to think twice before buying anything. Do I really need this? Will it fit in my suitcase?

I learned to live with less objects and more feelings.

It gives more lightness to life.

In order to help you realize where you want to go and what to expect, Natalie Sisson prompted a few questions:

• Where in the world do you want to travel?
• What cultural experience are you looking for?
• How far does your budget stretch?
• How key is your communication?
• Do you depend on certain services and amenities?
• How important is your food?
  

After travelling the USA and part of Europe, now I want to experience different and “exotic”. 

I’m open-minded and adaptable. I don’t mind being somewhere where I don’t speak or understand the language. We always manage a way to communicate. I’m not picky and I can stay at youth hostels, campsites or couch surf. I will try (almost) any food and drink. 

My new adventure plans include Japan, Africa, Thailand, India – to experience life as I’ve never seen it. 

And my list of travel essentials is always light and practical:

• Passport, visa and other documents.
  
• Money, credit card.
  
• Laptop, camera, cell phone. 
  
• Basic shoes and clothes.
  
• Basic hygiene products. 
  
• Basic first-aid (e.g. band-aids and aspirin).
  
• A couple of books. 
  
• An adventurous and free spirit.
  
• An open mind and willingness to learn.
  
• A judgment-free mindset.
  

What's in YOUR suitcase?

This trip started being planned when Robrecht insisted on giving me a pair of Teva shoes saying they were the bestest I’d ever wear in my life. I thought they weren’t very pretty and I wouldn’t wear them often but he insisted I could hike, go in rivers, do sports and pretty much everything in them. I said “Ok, but when you buy them, we’ll have to go to the Ardennes immediately”.

He scheduled some days off and we chose our destination and hotel – all we wanted was lots of nature and relaxation and Dinant looked perfect for it. Besides, I’d never been there and I want to explore as much of Belgium as possible.

It was our very first road trip and I was a bit nervous – ok, it’s not that far (around 120km) but neither Rob nor I had ever hit the road on our own. We studied the directions and took the gps along and everything went well. Woohoo! Proud of us being grownups!

So, Dinant is a pretty little town and the birth place of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone and other instruments. There were big colorful saxophones decorating the center and we could also visit Monsieur Sax’s house.

We went up to the Citadelle and I agreed to his brilliant notion that “the cable car is for sissies”, so we climbed a million steps to the top.

I hate stairs and I’m a sissy.

Of course it was worth it and the view from the Citadelle is absolutely charming – the river Meuse rolling lazily and the old buildings standing on both sides of it while a few hills and rocks stand around everything.

We stayed at an Ibis right in the center and across the river. Our room had a river view and so did their terrace, where we had delicious Trappist beers and read Game of Thrones.

 On the following day we got up early to go visit the cave but got a bit side tracked and enjoyed an amazing breakfast at a boulangerie on the other side of the bridge: orange juice, pistolets with ham and cheese, coffee and pain au chocolat.

The tour of La Merveilleuse was really cool, going down that ancient cave, water dripping on my head (at least it wasn’t a stalactite), feeling cold and thinking about countless movie scenes.

Later that day we saw a bit of the Bathtub Regatta and the boats were really funny. The streets were crowded and there were stages, food and drink stands everywhere.

Friday was our last day there and we had booked a kayak “trip” down the Lesse.

It was fun!

I had never done that before and in the beginning I had no clue about how to control that thing, but after some time we got the hang of it. The river is really calm and we could enjoy the view and unspoiled nature, but sometimes it got faster and rocky and we had a little rush of adrenaline. Of course we fell off once and filled the kayak with water + the plastic bag with his wallet and cell phone plunged right in but everything was ok. Luckily, I was wearing my Tevas ;)

In the afternoon we ended up in Rochefort, which is only about 30km from Dinant. We obviously drank their beer and then found a quiet spot under a tree and by a stream to take a nap.

That was it for our “vakantietje”.

We’re planning to go on a bigger one as soon as possible, but learned that Belgium has a lot to offer, it’s beautiful and fun!

Have you been on a nice little trip that was better that expected? Tell us about it!

     2009 was the year that changed my life. It was when I left home and went abroad for the first time. After doing everything “by the book” – school, University, work – I decided to quit my job and be an Au Pair in the USA. I lived with a family in NJ for 18 months and travelled to some of the most famous American destinations.   During that year, there were a lot of firsts: flying, seeing snow, listening to many different languages, travelling by train, staying at hostels, travelling solo, going on road trips with people we'd just met at a hostel, trying new foods, having a memorable hangover. Sometimes even opening a door or using home appliances or shower was a new challenge. It was ridiculous. And awesome. I laughed a lot with myself and learned with every task I had to do. Oh, I also cried a lot. It felt absurdly overwhelming at times and I had thoughts of giving up and going back to the comfort of my home. Even though you make many friends, in the end you are alone. The feelings and lessons you have to work out - you work them out alone. The big life decisions - you make them alone. Often times I felt lonely and sad, but mostly I felt sure that it was the best thing I had ever done in my life, this living abroad thing.
    When you go off by yourself and face the new every single day, you have no choice but evolving. You become more independent, more mature, more understanding, more flexible. You can reinvent yourself, you can be free. You don’t have to fulfill anybody’s expectations on what you should do and how you should behave. Nobody knows you and that’s an opportunity to open up, connect and have loads of fun!
    Choose your new friends, hang out with people who make you feel good and who can relate with your beliefs and dreams. I made friends in church, Au Pair cluster meetings, parties, hostels, Couchsurfing and more. They include travelers from everywhere, locals, and Brazilian expats. I learned so much about relationships and culture and they were my support team. On the other hand, the sad fact is: most of them will follow their paths and you’ll eventually lose contact. But as I tell myself, “C’est la vie”. Thanks to the internet I still keep regular contact with some of the friends I met abroad and I’m sure we’ll meet someday somewhere.
     My time abroad was so amazing that I couldn’t sit still at home for even a year. After having a taste of what’s out there, out of my bubble, I wanted more! I came to Belgium to be an Au Pair again (I know, crazy) and lived next to a real castle (!) for a year. I visited all the countries I had in mind: Portugal, Spain, France, England, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Holland. I visited friends I had met in the US (went for yet another road trip with the stranger from the hostel); friends from Brazil; surfed someone’s couch for the first time and had long philosophical and spiritual conversations; and stayed in the best hostel ever.
   My year in Europe was truly beautiful. Although sometimes I got a feeling that “this is just a city like any other” I learned to be more open to what the places have to offer, what’s special about them and their people. Now my list of places I want to visit has expanded and I want to experience really different cultures, like Asian and Middle-Eastern.
     I grew more and more passionate about living abroad. Many people ask me for advice about it or tell me about their fears, lack of money or other things holding them back. My answer is always: GO! Put your plan on paper, prepare, be brave and go! If you have that itch, it’ll never go away until you do it. The experience of being abroad is so enriching, it’s more valuable than any material stuff you would choose to spend your money on instead. I used to tell my friends back home: “I returned home poor, but I have LIVED!”.
    That tearful, scared girl who left her hometown in 2009 never came back. Of course she cries and gets scared sometimes, but it’s different now. Living abroad has changed my path like I would have never imagined. It changed the way I see the world and its people; it changed my decisions; it changed some of my interests, opinions and behavior. It really changed the course my life is taking. 

* Originally posted on www.anaeasletras.blogspot.com