Why I Pack an Empty Suitcase Every Time I Visit Korea
How a trip home became my yearly wardrobe refresh, without buying anything new Every time I visit my family in Korea, I pack one suitcase almost completely empty on the way there. It's not for souvenirs. It's for clothes I already own — the ones sitting untouched in my closet back in Canada because I never got around to having them altered or properly cleaned. The Habit I Started Almost by Accident The first time I did this, it wasn't planned. I happened to mention to my mother that I had a few pairs of trousers that never fit quite right, and a couple of cashmere sweaters I'd been avoiding because dry cleaning them in Canada always felt like an unnecessary expense. She told me to just bring them next time — alterations and dry cleaning back home cost a fraction of what they do here. What I Actually Bring Each Time Now it's become routine. On my last trip, I packed about five pairs of trousers that needed hemming or a slight waist adjustment, along with seven ca...