On The Pleasures Of Packing
A photo-essay on letting the soft animal of our body love what it loves.
Last week, I went on a two-night, solo mini-vacay at The Getaway, which is my favorite place to unplug and deeply reconnect with myself, with Source, and with nature, and is located about an hour outside of Austin.
I’ve been making these trips regularly since my first one in December 2020, and it never disappoints. Each Getaway outpost is home to multiple simple, well-appointed cabins, each with its signature, highly-Instagrammable gigantic window, and set in such a way as to maximize connection with nature, and minimize connection with neighbors.
Everything can be a ritual when you’re a witch, and packing is one of my favorite rituals. I know that packing can be stressful for many, but for me it is actually deeply soothing & pleasurable. Also, I happen to be a champion packer.
Packing is a way of anticipating & meeting our own needs. In thinking ahead to any trip, whether it’s two days an hour away from home, or three weeks in another country, what informs my packing is, What will I need to feel safe? What will I need to feel comfortable? What kind of experiences do I want to have?
I’ve written before about my relationship to the ritual of packing, how it’s been a way to care for myself that I’ve delighted in ever since I was a baby witch.
That feeling of “I have everything I need to feel safe” is that same feeling I now have as an adult when I gather all of my resources & supplies for my daily ritual. It gives me the same sense of safety & coziness that I had as a kid, ensconced with all my special things, listening to the same songs & stories over & over & over, watching the scenery rush by my window: a world onto myself.
A few weeks ahead of a trip, I start a list in the back of my journal to make sure I don’t forget anything. Since this was my 8th trip to the Getaway cabins in less than 2 years, I know what to expect, so I know exactly what to pack. I’m gonna be real, the first and most important thing I pack is my portable bidet. (Sponsor me, Tushy!)
What I get most excited about packing these days are my journals. I’ve really gotten into the whole art journaling/Japanese stationery thing this year, which has been just a wonderful practice for creativity, yes, but really the main thing for me is how pleasurable & soothing engaging with my supplies is.
Part of the appeal of journaling is, of course, getting to see what journals other people are using, and how they are using them. Most of what I’m doing on Insta these days is looking at other people’s journals, and since nothing thrills me more than getting to peek into what other journalers are packing for trips, I thought today I would introduce you to my journal friends and show you what I packed for two days away in the juniper and live oak woods. (Also I’ve actually gotten a request to talk about my journals–hi Nic!)
Why does this matter? Aside from just being fun for me, which is the main point of writing this newsletter, this is an example of how I am resourcing these days, which is a crucial component of trauma repair. Resourcing is how we cultivate relationships with the more-than-human world; it’s liking things on purpose, with intention.
In the opening lines to her uber-famous poem Wild Geese, beloved poet Mary Oliver writes:
You do not have to be good.
You do not need to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
I’ve been loving and reading this poem for over twenty years, and it still reveals more and more gems to me. I’ve come to see these lines as a prescription for trauma repair. Letting the soft animal of my body love what it loves, and giving that love time, attention, and resources has been a key feature of learning to be a safe caregiver to myself.
The thing your body loves might not be journals and stationery supplies: it might be mushrooms, books, screenprinting, it might be tarot or baking or Legos or square dancing. What the thing is doesn’t matter. What matters is that you let your love for the thing be, to borrow another phrase from Mary Oliver, “like a garden in [your] heart.”
So, yes, on this trip, I did a little photoshoot with my journals, because why not, because it delighted me to do so, and without further ado, here is my current journal lineup:
Passport Traveler’s Notebook (TN)
I use this notebook to track moon phases & signs, my period, and how I’m feeling–how my mood, energy, and appetite is on a given day–and to take notes on plant medicine use and protocols.
Hobonichi Techo A6 Planner
This is the newest addition to the lineup, which I’ve had for less than a month, so I’m still getting used to the format & paper, and still experimenting how I want to use it. So far it’s been a combination of regular planner & art journal pages. It’s a big transition from my previous planner, but so far I am really liking it!
Regular Traveler’s Notebook
This is my Spirit & creativity notebook. I use this one for my portal art pages, as well as for taking notes on downloads from Spirit. It holds three different inserts, and each one has a slightly different purpose. This is my most sacred and beloved journal.
Morning Pages Journal
I’ve been doing morning pages for over twenty years now, and for the last 5 years or so I’ve been using Leuchtturm1917 notebooks (previously I was devoted to Moleskine notebooks.) These you do not need to see the inside of, even though my handwriting in fountain pen ink is pretty.
On this trip, I did get to work in all of my journals, but this isn’t the goal. I spend the night at my boyfriend’s house a couple times a week, and I bring journals & supplies every time, even though I rarely use them there. It doesn’t matter. My journals are my friends, my familiars, and I get to bring them just because it makes me feel safe & cozy to just have them with me.
One of the things I love most about travel & packing is getting to affirm again and again what is most important to me. I love the streamlined-yet-rich feeling of having all my favorite things with me, how it feels both simple and abundant. It’s a practice of letting the soft animal of my body know that what it loves matters, that it matters so much. And since so many of the things I love so dearly have been my favorite things all my life–stuffed animals, journals, stationery, books–then I get to affirm to my inner little one that what she loves has always mattered this much, even if the grown-ups around me weren’t able to reflect & celebrate this for & with me.
“It’s ok, little one”, I get to say to my inner child. “One day we’ll have an outlet where thousands of people will read our writing and look at our pictures, and we’re going to show them all the things we love the most.”
Baby witch me would’ve loved the shit out of that.
What are the things that the soft animal of your body loves? What is planted in the garden of your heart? What are the nearest & dearest objects that help you feel safe?
CURRENTLY RESOURCING WITH: A weekly roundup of shit I’m enjoying.
🌈 I cannot talk about journaling without giving props to my very favorite journal inspiration person, Erin Fairchild of Journal As Altar, whose Substack is completely delightful.
🌈 I love sour gummies with fierce devotion, and these new Sour Patch Kids Peach & Grape flavors are DIVINE.
🌈 I woke up to cat puke on my bed this morning (this is not the endorsement), which means I am washing my sheets today & drying them on the line in the breeze & sunshine. Line-dried laundry is one of my favorite smells in the world, and getting into bed tonight and wrapping myself in this smell is going to be EPIC.
🌈 I am building up my capacity to watch horror movies these days (which makes me feel like I’m finally a real witch getting excited about spooky season) and I’m excited to see this in the theater later today.
🌈 Related: Dahmer is really gross and depressing and I cannot stop watching. Full-blown newslessay on this topic is probably coming soon to a Substack near you.
🌈 I have (slowly) been learning to play the drums over the past year and I’m really, really loving it. I highly recommend getting super passionate about something that you cannot hope to make money from. I also recommend rhythmically hitting things, it’s highly therapeutic.
🌈 Related: just started reading this book about the neuroscience of why we love the music we love and it’s making my nerd brain light up like a pinball machine.
🌈 I have some really sad appetite issues which means eating is often really hard for me, so it’s no small joy to be excited about eating Deb Perelman’s crispy eggs again for a time. (Until I get sick of them again and don’t eat them for a year.)
🌈 How to win Halloween.
Squeee! It is my very own personalized newsletter lololol. THANK YOU! Would you also please share, if you have the desire to do so, which colorful pens/art supplies you use for your big TN so that it doesn't bleed through the page?
Also, this connection between packing as ritual and safety makes me think about my love of long-distance hiking, and how one of the most soothing aspects of that lifestyle for me is having everything I need on my back.
Thanks Fanny for another engaging newsy. Duck fat for that crispy egg! Recently I’ve gone back to eating soy free eggs. My only allergy is to soy. Those eggs are hitting a spot.
Journals. Love your organization. Have tried a number...currently using Silk&Sonder. A little to much engagement for me, so will go back to creating a bullet journal of what serves me. Will check out your recommendation for ideas.
Taking a class at the library this week on altered book art to boost my creative urges around starting a daily practice. Will it inspire me to action?
Appreciate so much your shares! Thank you. 😘