My dad has over 50 years of jet-setting under his belt, but a relatively new purchase transformed how he travels
Lauren Edmonds
·3-min read
Insider's Lauren Edmonds and her dad.Lauren Edmonds/Insider
My father is a lifelong traveler, from a childhood trip to Mexico to a family vacation in the Bahamas.
He purchased packing cubes two years ago and says they've improved how he travels.
"I don't have to dig through different parts of the luggage to find something," he said.
One of the first things my dad showed me after we reunited in New York City last week was his luggage.
The conversation about his luggage sparked while my parents and I sipped cocktails at a Manhattan rooftop bar. Hours before, they had flown from our home state of Florida to visit me in New York City, where I moved five years ago after college.
"How was the flight?" I asked them, although I knew it was a cakewalk for my dad, Kevin.
Lauren Edmonds and her parents in New York City.Lauren Edmonds/Insider
By now, he's a well-versed traveler who can navigate most situations.
His first major trip was a family vacation to Mexico when he was six years old, and he hasn't slowed down since. Whether it be a weeklong vacation in the Bahamas or flitting between cities on the East Coast for my summer lacrosse tournaments, he's always been organized, punctual, and prepared.
But even he struggled with packing.
"I've tried all the different ways," he told me. "I've tried rolling clothes, folding clothes, packing the heaviest at the bottom, but it just really never works."
Fortunately, he's found a time-saving, mess-free hack: packing cubes.
He purchased packing cubes on a whim 2 years ago and says they've greatly improved the way he travels
Packing cubes.Lauren Edmonds/Insider
After drinks, we stopped by my parents' hotel room, where my dad unzipped his luggage and showed me the $22 packing cubes. Packing cubes, or packing squares, are small to medium-sized bags meant to compartmentalize clothes inside a luggage bag.
My dad stumbled upon them in 2021 while scrolling through Amazon and decided to try them despite being on the fence initially. Now, he never travels without them.
"I don't have to dig through different parts of the luggage to find something," he told me. "When I get somewhere, I can pull the cubes out and put them in the hotel dressers."
He said there are a lot of perks to using packing cubes
He added that his clothes tend to be less wrinkled, the packing cubes take up less space in his luggage, and they save him time because he doesn't have to rummage through piles of clothes.
My dad also enjoys that packing squares can be used for shoes because "You don't want the bottom of your shoes all over your clothes."
A look inside a packing cube.Lauren Edmonds/Insider
Unlike my mom and I, my dad begins packing days before we leave for a trip by incrementally placing items in his suitcase. He said packing cubes has made that process even easier.
"If there are clothes that you know you're going to take with you and you're not going to wear before you leave, you can pack those several days in advance," he said. "So, when it's time to pack your bag, you can just drop the cube in."
He's already bought my mom a set of packing cubes, and after seeing how my dad used his, I'm going to get some, too.
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A couple who quit the UK to retire early in Lanzarote say they are now "living the dream" mortgage-free in the sun. Helen and Stephen Walker decided to take the plunge after a horrid year in which three people close to them died. They quit their property business, sold their three-bed semi in Cosby, Leics., and relocated to Yaiza, a town on the Canary island. Helen, 56, and Stephen, 55, are now financially free and spend their days exploring and relaxing. They say they'd never have been able to retire in the UK at their age - but life is much cheaper in Lanzarote. Helen said: “We’re living the dream. We never got a break at home. “We could never afford to take early retirement in the UK." Helen and Stephen rarely went on holiday as they were self-employed. And, even when they were away, they’d be answering phone calls and messages. But one year Helen convinced Stephen to come away on holiday to Lanzarote 0 and they fell in love with the place. She said: “We came to Lanzarote and loved it so much. “We were walking straight out to sea and he turned around and said 'I could live here'. “I said I could live here as well.” With Brexit in motion, Helen and Stephen then had to act fast if they wanted their dream to become a reality. They became more determined to go for it after losing three friends and family members in one year. Helen said: “We lost three people in that year. We thought 'We need to do it now. “We can’t think about the kids here – we’re going before grandchildren. Otherwise we’d never do it.” They found it hard to leave their children behind but their youngest daughter, Kate Walker, now 22, went to live with their son James Sorrell, 29. Helen said: “We put the house on the market. “In December 2019 we travelled all down the island looking at where we wanted to live. “We found a newbuild in Yaiza and thought ‘this is the place’.” The couple sold their UK home for £225k, and bought the three-bedroom Lanzarote property for £220k. They moved out in January 2020 and purchased the empty property in February – before lockdown hit in March. Helen said: “Luckily we had the kitchen done before lockdown.”. The pair have since spent around €40k renovating their home in Lanzarote – and have no mortgage and low bills. They were shedding out £650-a-month on a mortgage, and £230 for their gas, electric and water bills in the UK. Helen said: “There’s no mortgage and no finance. It’s a lot cheaper here to live. I could never retire in the UK.” The retired couple spend their days going on walks around the island, going for a coffee and lunch together and having chilled evenings in front of the TV. They go out for food or drinks when friends are visiting and around once a week together. Helen said: “Our fitness is fantastic. We do 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. “We travel around the island. We can travel from one end of the island to the other in 45 minutes. “My view is the Timanfaya national park. The language barrier is a problem sometimes but we’re learning Spanish.” Helen has “no regrets” but does miss her kids. She said: “It’s just lovely but I miss my children. Taking my kids to the airport after a visit is the hardest thing. “I cry and cry. But we’re only a four hour flight away.” Helen said Lanzarote has now become a home for the couple. She said: “We’re never bored. There’s always something to do. This is my home.”
