Australia — The World in a Suitcase ☁️🇦🇺
In 2002, I was a college student who wanted to see the world “without strings.” I didn’t want a pre-packaged study abroad program with my friends from home. I wanted to be immersed. I wanted to see if I was Capable.
I packed one suitcase. My mom made me keep a binder of the costs and the plans, but her best piece of advice was the simplest: “Keep your hands free.”
The Suitcase was a Permit
For six months, that suitcase was the only thing I “managed.” Because it took up zero space in my head, I had the mental bandwidth to say yes to every experience that came my way.
The Cairns Dance Contest: I joined a group to go dancing at the last minute, won a contest, and scored a white-water rafting trip.
The Great Southern Rail: I spent three days sleeping on the floor of a train, traveling from Perth all the way back to Sydney.
Fraser Island: I spent three days in a jeep and a tent with a group of strangers I’d met in an afternoon. We cooked, cleaned, and explored together, and then we went our separate ways. I don’t even remember their names, but I remember the feeling of absolute presence.
Living vs. Managing
I didn’t bring family photos. I didn’t bring “just in case” items. I didn’t feel like I was lacking because living was the focus, not the stuff. I realized that when you aren’t distracted by your belongings, the world becomes your architecture.
The Architecture of Enough
Fast forward to today. As I look at “The Pile” of things I’m managing for my parents—and the stuff I’ve accumulated in my own home—I realize how far I’ve drifted from that “hands-free” traveler.
That’s why I’m doing my Buy 12 / Donate 180 Misogi this year. It’s not about being a minimalist; it’s about reclaiming the 2002 version of me. I want to prove that I don’t need a house full of “safety” to be bold. I just need to be un-braced enough to see the next adventure.
