3 Packing Lessons From My 10-Day Trip

My combo family/girlfriend trip taught me three lessons about packing for a ten-day trip.
I haven’t traveled much in recent years. I confess I tend to overpack. A three-day getaway poses no problem. Ten days with weather changes proved a challenge. I had a strategy. I packed mix-and-match items and planned to layer them for warmth.
The resulting carry-on weighed a ton (not literally). Luckily, I planned to check my bag.
I learned three lessons from this experience:
Clothing, particularly tops, needs to be dark. The cream shirt I planned to wear two, maybe three times attracted a drop of wine smack in the middle of the front. Goodbye, second and third wearings.
Buy the highest quality lightweight luggage you can afford. My empty carry-on weighs 10 pounds! Even a bag on wheels has to be picked up at times.
Say “No.” Or propose an alternative. We missed seeing the family at Christmas. My trip home included two hardcover books and a table easel for my granddaughter! I should have mailed them to myself.
I have another ten-day trip coming up in May. I will rework my wardrobe and set boundaries to change what goes into my bag.
I’m also in the market for new lightweight carry-on luggage. Any suggestions?