Wow, I did it. I made the decision to go on vacation.

I released concerns about spending money (while, as a freelancer, I wouldn’t be making any). I didn’t hold myself back because I didn’t have a travel companion. I made air reservations myself — online, something I don’t like to do.

I chose a destination that inspires a little romance and sense of adventure but does not involve riding on a donkey or swatting flies on a river barge. ARGENTINA!

I’ll be on a small group tour covering Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Eco de Valle and decided to tack on a short excursion to Iguazu Falls before flying 14 hours back to Chicago.

I leave Friday and am very excited.

I know traveling is largely about connecting with other people. Memorable experiences often boil down to seeing how much you have in common despite cultural differences. Music, good wine, and ice cream — all of which is in great supply where I’ll be going – are all great things to share.

Right now, I have to pack. And this is something I have to do alone.

Packing is a process that starts long before you actually bring out your suitcase from the back of the closet and take the flight tags off from the last trip.

I have been thinking about what to bring for a while.

The process of packing is akin to assessing where you are at any point in your life.

Aren’t we all continually asking ourselves what we want to take with us as we move forward and what we want to leave behind?

A few years ago, I saw a documentary called Walking the Camino about people from different parts of the world retracing an ancient route taken by pilgrims. They start in southern France and finish at the St. James Cathedral in Santiago in the northwestern corner of Spain.

The documentarian, not your typical pilgrim, found her biggest lesson in how she shed things during the month-long walk. The very things she thought she needed, like foot spray and extra clothes, actually weighed her down.

While I won’t go as far as limiting what I pack to my toothbrush and change of underwear, I have been mindful not to convince myself I need half my closet.

I have also been thoughtful about making room for LOVE. I can’t imagine that I won’t fall in love with some things that I won’t want to take back with me.

I hope to bring home two bottles of Malbec. One would be ear-marked to open with the ladies from my building on our back deck.  The other would be uncorked for a special occasion TBD.

It’s good to pack light so as not to burden yourself with things that weigh you down and to leave room for new things that bring you joy.

Filling a little suitcase for an eleven-day adventure in another continent, maybe a shift in perspective, is no small thing.