Thijs Linssen collects images that capture perhaps the most recognizable moment of a journey. No photos of destinations, but of that one moment before: the car fully loaded. Packing is a ritual in itself. Stack, slide, cram – until everything fits, or until choices have to be made. What stays behind, what goes with you?

What started as a spontaneous photo of his own car, filled with camping gear and strollers, grew into a collection. First he asked friends to take similar photos; later, strangers also started sharing their photo’s and stories. The collection continues to grow every year.

The series touches on something universal. For many people it brings back memories: the crammed cars of the past, brothers who clamped a football between their heads because there was no room left. Or a tour where luggage was left behind at campsites because it was no longer possible to repack. They are images that capture departure and saying goodbye in a tangible form.

There is a story about a father who loads all the luggage into the car weeks before the trip to test whether everything fits. He takes a test drive with his family, notes down exactly what goes where, then unpacks everything again – only to pack it again with the same precision on the day of departure. A choreography of departures.

For Thijs Linssen, the collection is a growing document of recognition and stories. Each image speaks of leaving, of the hope of not forgetting anything and of the tension of what is to come. The collection will ultimately take shape as a photo series or a small book, a collection of shared memories of that one moment just before the trip.