Pre-Departure #2: The Dreaded Task of Packing

Countdown to leaving the country:  2 days.

I'm finally finished packing. All my bags were officially packed this afternoon, and I am ecstatic.  All the time I spent sorting through all my stuff and making trips to the store with my mom has paid off.

Now, I'd like to share some things I've found that might easily be forgotten when preparing to travel (or you know it in the back of your mind, but your excitement or stress is clouding your memory) and I'll explain what I did to make the most of my packing (well, I'm learning).

Notice Cocky on top my suitcase, ready to see the world.

I've decided that packing, for me, was:

25% deciding what to bring

25% actually making it fit

& 50% staring at all my stuff on the floor

PACKING TIPS

1. Space bags.  I've probably made fun of people for using them before, but they are truly sent from heaven.  Even though I know I shouldn't have brought as many clothes as I did, I have everything I need, and it all fits, thanks to compress bags from TJ Maxx.

2. Luggage locks and international outlet adapters (also from TJ Maxx).  We hear constantly from our friends who have traveled before to bring those neat gadgets with us, but they are little things we could easily forget.

3. Don't underestimate flight time. (shout out to my mom for making me realize that, while I could easily sleep for 14 hours, I probably won't want to)

• Download movies before you go!
• I'm not a big movie-watcher on planes.  I prefer to read, but most of the time I just fall asleep.  It's a curse, but mostly a blessing.  However, when I have no choice but to sit my butt in a slightly uncomfortable chair for 14 STRAIGHT HOURS, I'd be happy to watch as many movies and TV episodes as I can find.
• Also, I may be behind the times on this one, but I just found out that iTunes doesn't count the 24 hour rental period until you start watching the movie.  Nifty.
• On that note, bring a portable charger.  I only have one for my phone, so I'll have to "share the love" between using my Kindle, phone, and laptop throughout the flight time so I have plenty of entertainment sources, other than babies (or apparently pigs?) who may be on the plane.

4. Make a packing chart.  I did this when I moved into college, and being the dork I am, I created one for my trip, too.  This chart is color coded by item category, such as Clothes & Accessories, Toiletries, and Books & Supplies. Each of the columns has the name of a bag I'm bringing so I know where everything is.  I have a Google sheet version that I can access on my phone and I printed out a copy to put in my planner.

Am I annoying yet?

5. & my favorite travel contraption so far.  The handheld luggage scale.  It would be cool if I eventually gained a sixth sense where I could pick up any bag and know for sure if it's under the 50 lb weight limit.  For now, I'll use the luggage scale.  I just hook it onto the handle of the bag and lift it.  And it conveniently fits in my backpack.
Ok. Enough of sounding like an infomercial.


MISCELLANEOUS

1. Go tanning (if you're traveling somewhere warm & sunny)

People who know me well will laugh because 1. I hate tanning beds & 2. I'm pretty pale 9 months out of the year, and will surely burn regardless of what level of base I have currently.  But, I despise sunburn, and it looms as a threat to ruin my trip, so I'm trying to avoid it at all costs.

I'd prefer not to look like a lobster.

But if I do, I'll still be happy because I'll be on a beach.

2. Spread out your cash (i.e. put it in various bags in conspicuous places)

I don't want to share my hiding spots in case you're planning on stealing some newly acquired fancy-looking foreign money from me.

Speaking of cash... check your bank's options for international travel.  After notifying them of when you'll be leaving the country, see if the have passport currency cards available.  You can preload them with foreign currency!  To figure out my best option, it took a lot of clicking around online and repeating my questions to different people, but I'm hoping it'll be worth it now that I have a few different spending options.

3. Make copies of everything (like the cash, even these out between your bags)

This is the most memorable piece of advice from study abroad orientation.  And just think about how much it would suck if the one time you needed your health insurance card, you didn't have it.  And some crazy person could steal my passport any time.  I pray that never happens, but if it does, I'll be all set (after I cry a bit).

4. Bring stuff you don't want to worry about buying there.

This may seem obvious, but it changes as you go along and assess how much room you have in your bags.  For me, it was important to bring the brands of medicine, shampoo/conditioner, and sunscreen/tanning oil that I already use.  While it may be adding a lot of weight to my bag now, none of it will come home with me, and I'll be much happier when I arrive in NZ and Australia and don't have to go searching for the Australian version of Benadryl and pay three times the prices for it. 

Sadly, and ironically, I don't think I'll find

my favorite tanning lotion in Australia.

Sidenote: Add a few travel-size toiletries (i.e. shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion) to your bag, and when they run out, rinse them and refill them with product from the larger version you already have.

5. Bring 2 things that remind you of home.

My choices were pictures (what a shock there) and candy- my fav is mini Reese's.  I bought an awesome plastic picture hanger on Amazon and folded it up in my suitcase, and then took advantage of Shutterfly's free 4x6 prints and printed 50 of my favorite photos.  I'll hang them up in my new room so it's not so plain!

Also pictured is a travel box for medicine.  Life-changing.

The mini Reese's are for the plane or whenever I'm traveling and want a snack... which is always. And I've been told that comfort food is one of the must-haves of traveling.  I will fully embrace this opportunity to perpetuate American stereotypes.

6. & lastly ... Keep a journal.

(Shout out to Paul for getting me a super cool Wanderlust Journal for Christmas)

We always hear "Take lots of pictures!" "Buy postcards!" and things like that.  And how could you not?  Especially with the unbeatable technology we have today and the stunning photographs we can take home that are worth a thousand words and still don't do the sights justice.

Writing things down isn't as easy to do, and this is coming from me, somebody who places writing at the top of the list of things I love to do... but very often, I find myself putting other activities or obligations in front of writing.  When I do make time for it though, I am reminded that few feelings are greater than being able to put an experience in your own words, share it- if you want to, and save it forever.

Throughout this trip, I hope to write things down in my own journal twice a week.  My friend Emma traveled around the world for 7 months and wrote in her journal almost every day (so impressive I had to share).  And since posting my first blog, a handful of people have told me that blogging or journaling was a memorable aspect of their times traveling as well.  This is why another goal of mine is to blog at once a week. Guess it's out there now, so we'll see if I actually do it :)

At least I'm off to a good start!  And, now here I am... Spending my last night at home reflecting on where I've been so far, who I'll miss, who I'll get to visit, and what I want to accomplish.  Whew.  Ok, enough thinking for now.  It's probably time to turn on The Goldbergs and zone out a little so I can go to sleep.

At this point, I have been home in Missouri for 2 months now.  I'm not even close to Australian soil yet, so I have to tell myself Don't skip ahead.  Don't miss out on what happens every day just because you're excited about the future.

STL's famous Forest Park in the snow, courtesy of Forest Park Forever.

St. Louis, I have thoroughly enjoyed my ridiculously long Christmas Break with you, complete with lots of snuggling with my dogs, Hulu TV time, and free food.  New Zealand, get ready.  I can't wait to meet you.

Check back this weekend if you want to read about what happens when I finally leave the country.

Be Excellent.
xoxo Jo Jo