Podcast Show Notes
Episode Title
So Much for Traveling Light: A Love Letter to the Suitcase I Swore I'd Leave Behind
Episode Description
In this episode, Laura Davis takes listeners inside her lifelong—and losing—battle with packing light. As she prepares for another Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, Laura shares the packing philosophy she's built over decades of travel, the unexpected lesson she learned from a fellow traveler in Peru, and why, at 70, her relationship with "stuff" has become more complicated than ever.
What Laura Covers in This Episode
The nickname a friend gave her decades ago that still fits perfectly
A memorable lesson in minimalist travel learned from a poet on a trip to Machu Picchu
The daily routine she adopted from that encounter and still uses today
Her evolving gear obsessions, including a beloved travel tool she can't stop recommending
The contrast between her packing style and her wife Karyn's minimalist approach
How her packing list has shifted across three Caminos
The new category of items that has changed her packing calculus in her seventies
Her honest reckoning with whether "packing light" will ever be more than an aspiration
Episode Highlights
Laura describes the moment she earned the nickname "the queen of abundance"
The story of a fellow traveler in Peru whose tiny suitcase changed how Laura thinks about packing
A behind-the-scenes look at the handwashing method Laura adopted and still practices
Laura's love affair with a compact travel gadget she insists isn't a paid endorsement
A candid comparison between Laura's packing instincts and her wife's minimalism
The evolution of Laura's Camino footwear choices across multiple pilgrimages
Laura's honest reflection on a new category of travel necessities that's emerged with age
Laura's ultimate surrender to—and acceptance of—the traveler she really is
About Host Laura Davis
Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with more than 35 years of experience helping people tell their true stories. She is the author of the award-winning memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars, winner of the BookLife Prize, and co-author of the bestselling The Courage to Heal. Laura is the founder of The Writer's Journey LLC, offering online writing classes, workshops, and international retreats for writers of all genres—not just memoir. She is the host of The Writer's Journey podcast and Substack, where she blends personal storytelling with practical writing instruction for a global community of readers and writers.
Resources Laura Mentions
The Writer's Journey Substack — Laura's newsletter and podcast home
Laura Davis's website — classes, books, workshops, and retreats
The Art of Memoir: Crafting Compelling, Vivid, True Life Stories – Baja, Mexico Retreat (May 14–22, 2027) — Laura's upcoming international memoir retreat in La Ventana, Baja
The Burning Light of Two Stars — Laura's award-winning memoir
The Courage to Heal — Laura's co-authored bestseller
Key Takeaways from This Episode
The packing habits we develop often say as much about our values as our itineraries.
Learning from a fellow traveler's system can transform a habit you thought was fixed.
Simple daily rituals—like a handwashing routine—can become meditative rather than tedious.
Growing older on the road means renegotiating what "essential" really means.
Self-acceptance, even about something as small as a suitcase, is its own kind of freedom.
Episode Call-to-Action
Listeners preparing for their own travels—or simply curious about Laura's approach to life on the road—are invited to subscribe to The Writer's Journey for more personal essays and reflections, and to consider joining Laura on an upcoming retreat, including her memoir retreat in Baja, Mexico this coming May.
Connect with Laura Davis
Subscribe to The Writer's Journey Substack: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/
Explore classes, books, and retreats: https://lauradavis.net/
Leave a comment or share this episode to help new readers discover The Writer's Journey
The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.
You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/
