After traveling and living abroad for 16 years I believe that successful long-term traveling and living abroad is more about attitude than logistics. Reading these quotes, you´ll see that I am not alone. Almost everyone feels that travel is more about learning and personal growth than sightseeing.
I have had more problems because I packed too light than too much. Packing light advice is mainly geared toward people who are going on a whirlwind trip through Europe independently. I usually travel for long periods and stay in only a few places often with great climate variations. I also hate washing my own clothes.
While I do not always follow packing light tips, there are many other tips that I use all the time. This post outlines the tips that were most useful during my 5 years traveling around the world.