ESKEMÉNA was founded by Nidyanthy (Nidya) Pratiwi. The idea began while she was finishing her master’s degree at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

It started from a simple frustration: overpacking. She and her friends would constantly end up with overweight suitcases and outfits they never wore. On one flight from Los Angeles to New York, things got so bad that Nidya and her best friend had to completely reorganize their luggage at the check-in counter only to watch shampoo spill over their dresses as they tried to reduce the weight.

To make it through the flight, she layered a sweater under a thick puffer jacket, then topped it with a winter coat. In her right hand, she carried a bag of sneakers and in her left, a pair of 10 inch boots — while sitting in coach for six hours. That day, she swore: never again.

Curious to see if it was only her problem, Nidya began reaching out to other women once she got back to Los Angeles. She spoke to 30 women from 27 countries who travel up to 15 times a year, asking them about their travel habits and realized it was nearly a universal story among the globetrotters. Eighty percent said packing was the most stressful part of every trip, and almost all admitted to overpacking because well, “just in case.” After all, who doesn’t want options while being away from home?

But to her, both having options and packing light play a huge role in shaping our travel experiences so she refused to choose one over the other.

And that’s where #OnlyTheEssential came in, because she believes that you shouldn’t have to choose, either.