Home again, home again, my suitcases brimming with souvenirs, yet well beneath the 50-pound maximum weight for each bag.
A miracle, you say?
Nope. All it took was a little thoughtful preparation, and a staunch determination to tenaciously stick to that original plan! 
When I packed for Korea, I packed one large and one smaller suitcase, since my ticket included two pieces of “free” checked luggage. Inside the largest suitcase, I packed a new pillow and a set of pillowcases, holding space, but never to return to the United States.
Inside the smaller suitcase, which I would take on the “side trips” to both Japan and China, leaving my larger one in Korea, I included an empty folded duffel bag to use as my carry-on for the return trip home.
As you can see in the photos, I stuck to lots of “little” souvenirs that don’t weigh much or take up much space. Refrigerator magnets and earrings are always my mainstay, but since I was in Asia, I added fans, scrolls, chop sticks, and Buddhist charms to my list.
Although I spent the most time in Korea, I bought the fewest treasures there, ranking each item for it’s “necessity.” In Japan, I relaxed my vigilance just a little and added many more items to the growing pile. The last stop was China, and by then I knew exactly how much room I had left, so I gave my inner tourist a lot more leeway.
I only bought four t-shirts on this trip—three at the Beijing Zoo (all were of Pandas, and two were for gifts) and one at the Xi’an City Wall of a Terra Cotta Soldier. Previously, I’ve purchased way too many t-shirts, and have literally drawers of unworn “souvenirs,” with the tags still on them, so I made a vow, and kept it, to limit myself to just two this trip.
Buying all this “happy crap,” supported the local economies of three countries, and made me, and hopeful quite a few friends “back home,” very happy indeed.
A win-win, no doubt about it!
