city at night

city at night

Monday, August 8, 2022

Traveling (Not So) Lightly

Experts have long exhorted travelers to travel lightly.  Indeed, I have often taken their advice.  There have been several long trips to Europe in which I have traveled with nothing more than carry-on luggage.  Each night I would wash out my clothes in the hotel sink, hang them to dry in the bathroom, and use the hair dryer on those items (mainly socks) that were not dry the next morning.

Since 2017 I have been renting the Mexico City condo that I intend to buy next year.  I am allowed to keep clothes there, so the only time I have had to check a large suitcase on those trips is when I have a lot of gifts to take to my "Mexican family".

Tomorrow, when I leave again for Mexico, I will be hauling more luggage than I have EVER taken on a trip.


Since I have a first-class ticket, I am allowed to check three suitcases.  I am going to check two, and they are both quite heavy.  I am also taking a small bag in addition to my backpack as carry-on.  I have a number of gifts to take to Alejandro and his family, but I am starting the process of moving things down to my future home in Mexico.  I have packed more clothes, some handicrafts that I want for decorating the apartment to my own taste, some framed family photos, and some books to start building up a good supply of reading material for the future.

I am going to look like one of those tourists that the travel experts always scold for being overloaded with luggage.  At least I won't be dragging this stuff all over Europe, and I will be returning home with oddly empty suitcases.  I just hope that I will not have to go through an inspection at customs in Mexico City.  "And WHY is it that you are transporting Mexican handicrafts TO Mexico???" 😕


4 comments:

  1. My response was "I love Mexico so much that I am moving there to live. My heart is in Mexico"

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    1. Of course, I can't tell the customs official that I am moving to Mexico yet. Not until I have my residency visa.

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  2. Sure you can! I did it for many trips.

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    1. Well, according to what I have read, you are only allowed to bring your household goods down to Mexico without paying customs duties for six months after obtaining the residency visa. Of course, that doesn't mean that the rule is enforced.
      Fortunately, there was no inspection of my luggage yesterday.

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