Day 3: The fantasy self

I always have these visions of who I think I could be. And maybe I could actually be that person. But whenever I deal with a similar situation in the real world, I'm never as cool, calm, and collected.

The latest vision is the ease of being a world traveler. I am a world traveler. I have literally travelled the world. I have walked on all seven continents. I have checked many items off the bucket list.

But I am a hot mess when actually traveling. I am sweaty and tired and want to rely on my old faithful travel equipment.

Shiny new travel equipment rarely gets used. I will not be someone who can cram three weeks' worth of clothing and paraphernalia in a backpack and saunter through an airport. I need a roller bag for my carry on.

I will not be someone with a cute tote bag for my personal item. My arms will get tired and I always need my laptop, so my trust decade-plus old laptop backpack it is.

Check-in suitcases still elude me. I've yet to find the perfect one. It doesn't matter – they'll be destroyed after a few years, anyway.

Still, I keep searching for the perfect travel bags. The perfect travel outfit. The perfect travel set-up that will make me seem so cool and cosmopolitan.

When in reality, I default to old favorites because I know they work, even if they aren't the newest or namebrand.

Which is a point I need to keep remembering, not just when planning travel, but in my life. I'm not suddenly going to change my personality or throw-out all my comfort Shiny Things. I'm old enough and experienced enough to know what I like, and trying something new can be fun for novelty's sake, but when push-comes-shove, I reach for the old reliable.

Yet I still can't stop browsing or reading about the perfect packing lists.