Allison Fallon - Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage

Ally Fallon is a gifted writer with a pleasant voice who is a joy to spend time with. Joining her on a cross-country journey makes for a delightful and thought-provoking respite. With refreshing honesty, Ally teaches us how to better navigate life and relationships as she navigates the roads of all fifty states.

GARY THOMAS, author of Sacred Marriage and The Sacred Search

Packing Light is the latest in a long line of rich and lovely travel memoirs that make the world bigger, that make us long for the open road, and that ask us to consider the important and universal themes of faith, fear, comfort, friendship, love, and what to pack. For any young traveler, literal and otherwise, Ally has given us a gem.

SHAUNA NIEQUIST, author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine

This is a good one, an important book for those who are restless. We all have questions, and some brave souls turn to the call of the open road for answers. Thanks, Ally, for sharing your journey with us. I couldnt stop reading.

JEFF GOINS, author of Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life

Allison Fallon has written a wonderfully provocative book about changing your life. For a long time she was plagued by a thought, could I live life where nothing held me back? It would mean leaving a lot behind. But the dream grew inside her until one day she sold everything and, packing lightly, took off for the open road and a life full of possibilities.

If, like her, youre tired of the complicated life youre living, youll want to read Packing Light and consider following her example. In simplicity and abandon, Fallon found the purpose she longed for. Its a great story and a lesson I found invigorating to my spirit.

SETH BARNES, CEO Adventures in Missions

Ive known Ally since we were kids. Shes everything you want in a writer: smart, funny, honest, flawed, strong, passionate, and after Jesus kingdom vision. To a generation thats dying for adventure but scared to death of failure, Packing Light comes as a much needed kick out the front door. You might read this book on your couch, but you wont stay there.

JOHN MARK COMER, pastor for teaching and vision at Solid Rock: a Jesus church in Portland, Oregon

Allison Fallon is one of the best emerging writers to come along in years. Her words slip into the next ones in a way that makes reading a delight. And then theres the story she tells. From page one, you feel drawn in, as if you were having coffee together, sharing personal confessions with a friend. This book will occupy a permanent space in your library.

BEN ARMENT, creator of STORY and Dream Year

Ally did what so many of us have dreamed of doing at some point. Her journey was adventurous and life-changing. I vicariously joined in the journey as I read along. Packing Light is heartfelt and insightful, and you should read it now!

ALLI WORTHINGTON, entrepreneur, business coach and consultant, speaker and fan of all things digital

Ally tells her story with such grace, honesty, and humor that we cant help but get caught up in her journey with her. Her trip may be unique to her, but the lessons she learned are universal. Packing Light is a book for anyone longing to go after that something missing in their own lives.

JUSTIN LATHROP, blogger and cofounder of Some Company

Packing Light makes you want to get out large scissors and cut the strings holding you back. Packing your bags with boldness, wisdom, and fresh perspectives, this book bravely takes you on a journey of themes so relevant to people of this day and age. At times you feel like you are truly in her shoeswith her lessons you learn your own, with her broken expectations you break yours, with her found freedom you yourself feel refreshed.

SARAH DUBBELDAM, editor in chief of Darling magazine

2013 by
ALLISON VESTERFELT

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Published in association with the literary agency of Darrell Vesterfelt.

This is a work of nonfiction. Though names, places, and other identifers may be altered to protect the privacy of those involved, the events and thematic elements faithfully represent the authors experiences, context, and insights gleaned.

Edited by Stephanie S. Smith of (In)dialogue Communications
Interior design: Design Corps
Cover design: Gilbert & Carlson Design, LLC dba Gearbox
Cover image: Veer/GoodMood Photo #4647420
Author photo: Lucas Botz Photography

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vesterfelt, Allison.
Packing light : thoughts on living life with less baggage / Allison Vesterfelt.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-8024-0729-0
1. Conduct of life. 2. Simplicity. I. Title.
BJ1589.V47 2013
248.4dc23

2013016093

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To all those who shared their couches, their comforters, and their coffee with us. We couldnt have done it without you.

MY FAVORITE PART OF the circus lasts less than a second. Its the part where the trapeze artist is flying through the air between the swinging ropes. He has let go of one and is reaching for the other.

When I see it happen, I always wonder about the first time he did it. What did it feel like the first time he let go of the rope? Hed swung back and forth a million times, getting the timing right, watching the other rope swing toward and then away, imagining what it would be like to one day let go.

And then, he did it. And in that millisecond all the unspoken emotions swelled up in him, all the stuff about risk and identity and work and the hope he was doing it right. There is so much about life captured in that set of emotions.

The thing is, though, you watch the guy now and he swings across the arena with ease.

I think life is like that. The older we get, the more we swing through our transitions with maturity and grace. But do you remember the first time? Do you remember going off to college? Your first crush? Your first job interview? Do you remember your first road trip? The first time you got up in front of a crowd to read a poem or play a song?

Thats the stuff. Certainly those memories quickly get replaced with getting married and having kids and the chapters in life that make it truly beautiful, but there are times I still miss the thrill of those first big risks, when what seem like small events felt enormous and frightening. Leaving. Loving. Fighting. Throwing away stuff. Praying for gas money.