Five things I have learned about…how to ‘travel light’

A recent house move forced Cathy Madavan to be ruthless with her belongings. Here she shares what she has learned about our tendency to hoard 

I think it’s best I begin this article with some candour. I would love to ‘travel light ’but I also love shoes. It is what it is. So, going on holiday, if there is a choice between minimal baggage or extra space for another pair of sandals/heels/trainers, then extra space it is. Friends, different outfits have different shoe needs – what can I say?! So, it might not come naturally to me to minimise my belongings or to perfect that capsule wardrobe (does it exist?), but, that said, over the years I have learned quite a bit about what my needs really are so have streamlined my belongings. It turns out, I can live with a lot less than I’d previously thought…and not just on holiday.