So You Want to be an Expat: Packing 8 Months into a Suitcase

Lessons Learned

When I studied abroad in Toledo, my school’s study abroad office and former study-abroad-ers were kind enough to offer words of wisdom on packing for the three-month experience. The maxim that had rung most clearly in my mind was that everyone always takes more than they need and they severely regret it. They pack more clothes than can manage to wear, and bring too many unnecessary electronics or entertainment items to truly enjoy the world they have chosen to immerse themselves in. Taking this advice to heart, and more tragically, waiting until the night before I had to leave to even hit the stores for necessary supplies, I found out quickly that I was not the “everyone” they were talking about. I had severely under-packed, and this tragedy was only further exasperated by my host-mother who took several weeks to return what little clothes I brought after washing, if she returned them at all. Indeed, my favorite blue shirt survived a majority of my experiences, only to be lost forever in the black hole of their basement. A couple of weeks into studying abroad I was blowing a portion of my limited travel money on clothes necessary to survive the experience. Lesson learned, I would not under-pack or procrastinate this time around.

Packing for eight months, for two people in Spain, is no small endeavor. We would be arriving in the fall, staying through winter, and leaving just before the summer would become too unbearably hot. Additionally, since we had no idea where we were staying and what we would have available to us in our new home, we were afraid to leave any necessities behind. Fortunately, this part of our travel research was aided through a compilation of other travel blogs and Youtube videos from those who have embarked on similar experiences, be it work-relocation or a year-long study abroad experience. No packing list or guidelines ever perfectly mirrored my needs, and I doubt the information I provide here will be your only source of advice. Packing is a rather personal endeavor and just too specific to necessities and current possessions to rely entirely on any one outside source. However, it is my hope that the lists and gear recommendations I provide here will help you get a grasp on a task that is initially quite overwhelming. I also recommend you take a look at these helpful tips as well, no matter how long you plan on staying: Top Ten Tips for Packing and Studyabroad.com's suggested packing guide

Some Advice

The first piece of advice I can offer is to start planning your packing as soon as possible. Note I say “planning,” not actually “packing.” Planning should involve a very thorough list of everything you could possibly need while you are abroad that you are uncertain about obtaining when you are there. As soon as you know you are going, begin making this list. It will be long, and holding this information in your head while maneuvering the obstacles of the visa process, plane tickets, and saying goodbye to everyone, is simply impossible. You will forget things, miss them, and regret bypassing this very easy step if you do. I kept my list on an Excel Spreadsheet so I had the freedom to modify it or arrange it in any way I needed to without needing to start anew. This allowed me to keep a record of what I already had, what I needed to purchase, how much each item would cost to obtain, and where I intended to pack these items, be it my carry-on or checked baggage. I noted each of these elements in a separate column, and as I went, I would sort the sections alphabetically to categorize things as needed. This step helped me keep my sanity throughout my five months of preparation which was inundated with several big-life-changes, from moving out of our apartment, to studying for the bar, to handling last minute, cross-country emergencies weeks before we left that severely impacted the actual execution of my packing.

       

If you successfully adhere to my first piece of advice, you will save not only time and stress, but money. I was fortunate enough to have 5 months’ notice before embarking on this journey, giving me ample time to watch for sales of items I wanted to bring. As annoying as the junk-mail can become, sign up on list-serves for brands or stores you intend to buy supplies from, and when a sale or weekly ad comes out, watch for your necessities.

For example, I am very particular about the kind of face wash that I use, and I was not about to risk the prospect of several months without it. I watched for sales in various stores, and eventually one emerged. Now, it turns out Spain does stock my brand and type of face wash (Clean and Clear, Advantage), and even at a comparable price, so I would have eluded the fourteen year old version of myself either way. But it was better safe, than sorry, and buying them all at once, on sale, saved me a few dollars overall.

The second disposable item I was particularly concerned about was my makeup. I use bare escentuals make-up, and when I ran out the last time I was here, with the dollar-euro conversion in mind, it was significantly more expensive to buy it in Spain than it would have been back home. Lesson learned. I have a membership with this brand and chose my “personal shopping day” (10% off) to buy my foundations, and used their “beauty rush” day (huge discounts on special collections and extras such as a blush multi-pack, eye-liners, etc. along with bonus gifts including more eye liners, mascaras and make-up brushes) to purchase the rest. Not only did I avoid the extra expense in Spain, but utilizing the store’s promotions I saved a lot of money overall.

In the same vein, it is important to remain conscious of what is important to bring, and what you can either live without temporarily, or buy once you arrive. The most obvious item you should leave packed in storage are most of your electronics. Europe uses not only a different outlet than the U.S., it also uses a different (higher - double) voltage. You can buy a converter and even a transformer, both of which I have, and both of which have come in use, but these are only so effective. I have heard horror stories of hair dryers, hair straighteners, and electric razors frying early on into a trip, requiring the individuals to purchase another one in Europe that fits the voltage and outlet needs - which, for these items, they should have done in the first place. I use the converter for my laptop, which has its own transformer built into the plug. For my phone, I use a European charger my sister acquired while in Germany. Aside from the, deemed useless, electronics, I would not bring any more shampoo, toothpaste, or other similar toiletry items, than a one or two-week supply. Spain is a civilized country, and it has these items available to you at a comparable price. Bring only enough to get you through the stages of settling into your new place, and buy what you need beyond that while you are there. Finally, we knew we would have bedding and a full kitchen to use, so we went without most of necessities here. We do  regret not bringing our fancy memory-foam pillows, however.  

       

Two plane tickets meant we could bring two large bags weighing no more than 50 pounds, two carry-on bags, and two personal items without paying extra baggage fees. This should be more than enough room, though we maximized on every pound we had available to us - I was not about to underpack again. To meet our demands, we used a large standard suitcase and a duffel bag that weighed in around 45 pounds each, and carry-on luggage – one Deuter Futura 28 Backpack, and one smaller suitcase (roughly 18x24x6").

After compiling our list and obtaining all of the items we needed for this trip, we began laying everything we wanted to bring in one space to get a sense of where we were at as far as luggage room- and rationality. After doing this, I was a little worried that I was only capable of extremes - bringing too little or bringing too much. This time, I was bound to over-pack. However, in my defense, this time, it would be packing for two - one student, and one intern working in a professional setting. And in any event, we were nothing like the students who brought three suitcases for just themselves to Toledo while studying abroad.

One good piece of advice I found for when you are distributing weight among two bags is to put the heaviest items in the smaller bag. This will ensure, as they fill up, that you can maximize the space inside your bigger bag. Several forums I perused throughout this undertaking also warned against using up all of your space and weight because you would not have that room and space when you return to bring souvenirs. This is sound advice, and it will definitely ensure you do not take more than necessary. However, for an 8-month journey, you can also keep in mind what has been packed that will be disposed of during your time there. For example, I would not be returning with five bottles of face wash, several make-up containers, or the gargantuan bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap my husband packed. In sum, heed this advice generally, but be mindful of what your luggage will actually look like after 8 months of use.

Believe it or not, we managed to pack everything shown here, but it did take a long time and a little creativity to accomplish it. We had to pack, and repack, and pack again mostly just to proportion the weight strategically, and we had to make some sacrifices along the way. We also had to employ the use of space-saver bags. All of the brands seemed like solid choices, but after reading reviews and factoring our specific needs, we chose the pack-it brand at REI. For about $28.00, we were given a large bag, holding 6 sweaters (though this was a little much for the bag), a medium bag holding 6 t-shirts, and the small bag holding most of our undergarments. We tried to pick items that naturally took up a lot of unnecessary space, like sweaters, to maximize the bags' usefulness. For example, the sweaters were fluffy and able to be condensed substantially, whereas if we tried the same with jeans, there would have been little difference. This saved a surprising amount of space for us. We did have to be careful not to use too many bags or compensate the extra space with a lot more items because, while the items took up less space, they were not lighter.

Another item we decided to purchase at REI was a "multi-towel." When Jonny traveled abroad for a week, he brought one of these with, and it worked wonderfully for our side trips. This towel is compact (thin) but large and effective for showering because it can soak up a lot of moisture (think shamWOW). It even comes with its own pouch, small enough to fit in a small purse, to store it in. It is not as nice or large as fluffy hotel towels, but when you are living in a hostel for a couple of nights - where towels are not necessarily provided, it gets the job done. 

Having now survived three months in Spain, I think we brought just the right amount of stuff. Nothing has gone to waste so far, and we are fairly comfortable in our setting. The place we ultimately ended up living in was a couple's home, and therefore we had at our disposal ample bed sheets and towels, and a fully functional kitchen with cookware and dishes. I think the only items we inadvertently omitted were pillows (they have them, but they are European - one long pillow to share, and we don't share well), water-bottles, a chef's knife (not the worst to go without usually, but Jonny is picky and our landlord's knives are dull) and my fleece Spiderman blanket :(. I have provided below the general list we used so that, if needed, you can brainstorm for your next big adventure.

Remember, packing is a personalized endeavor, and no list will ever be complete. Take your time, add to your list as you remember things, and be sure to use at least the resources I list above. If you are trying to take more than you need, remember the point of the trip, and practice a little cleansing. Everyone could benefit from some minimalist behaviors, and this is the perfect time to say goodbye to those jeans you never wear anymore. From here, you are one step closer to an adventure of a lifetime!

Are you taking a long-term trip soon? If so, are there any other items you would recommend specifically? What type of gear would you make sure you bring? What resources did you find most useful?

OUR PACKING LIST

Checked bags for 2 People

Clothing

• winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves
• rain coats
• 2 sweatshirts
• 7 sweaters
• 4 pairs of pajama pants
• 10 tank tops
• 5 long-sleeve wool shirts
• 7 t-shirts each
• 2 work dresses
• 2 belts each
• 5 pairs dress pants (2 black, 1 brown, 1 red, 1 grey)
• 2 suit coats (1 grey, 1 black) 
• 1 suit coat and pants for Jonny (student)
• 4 blouses
• 4 button-up shirts each
• 1 tie for Jonny
• two weeks worth of undergarments each - socks, underwear, bras, nylons etc.
• 4-6 pairs of regular pants (jeans, khakis, etc) each 
• 2 pairs of shorts each
• 1 or 2 swimsuits each
• 2 pairs of heels (probably only needed one pair of these, if that)
• 1 pair of dress flats
• 1 pair of TOMS shoes
• 1 pair of winter boots
• 1 pair of flip flops each (nice to have for hostel showers, etc)
• 1-w pair of tennis shoes/other comfortable shoes each (hiking!)
• 1 pair of vibram toe-shoes for Jonny

Bathroom supplies

• 2 towels (one travel size, one regular)
• 3 washcloths
• 1 deodorant each
• 1 large bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap
• 3 bottles of face wash
• 3 containers of foundation
• 2 containers of blush
• 1 container of bronzer
• 1 eyeliner
• 1 mascara
• lipstick
• 2 of my favorite eye shadows
• makeup brushes
• nail clippers
• Midol and Tylenol
• 1 pack of bobby pins
• 1 pack pony tail holders
• 1 pack razors
• 1 bottle of shampoo
• 1 tube of toothpaste
• tweezers

Miscellaneous supplies

• jewelry (earrings, necklaces, wristwatch, etc. that I would actually wear)
• 1 cloth-bag hamper
• camera and charger
• umbrella
• 1 chef's knife (sadly and unfortunately we ended up forgetting to pack this)
• 1 multi-tool (has come in handy throughout our time here!)
• one tea holder/infuser
• addresses for postcards!
• 1 screwdriver set for electronics
• 1 extra, smaller backpack, and 1 cinch-strap bag

Carry-on*

• 1 container of foundation 
• 2 neck pillows
• 2 books 
• photocopies of all credit cards, passports, identifications, etc. (this is an absolute must! You want records with all of the information handy, and on your person should you lose anything)
• 2 sets of headphones
• ipod/other music devices
• kindle/nook/ipad
• laptops with chargers
• cell phone
• $ 100
• € 100
• 2 Passports (won't get far without them!)
• 3 or 5 pens/pencils
• 2 plane tickets
• 1 small notebook
• state IDs
• student IDs (if you are under 25 and have a student ID, say hello to a world of free bees!)
• 2 pairs of sunglasses
• 1 hair brush
• toothbrushes
• travel size toothpaste
• travel size Dr. Bronner's
• 1 set of clothes each
• sweatpants
• endless supplies of healthy trail mix!
• a small fleece blanket (also, sadly forgotten)

*Check back soon for advice on what you should be sure to have in your carry-on!