How To Pack for a Semester Abroad

As I've said before, I am a reformed over-packer.

True Life: We wore all of our clothes on the plane to avoid being charged for heavy bags.

I mean I really, really, REALLY badly overpacked. Always. It's embarrassing to think about how much I towed around for almost no reason.

When I was a senior in college, I took a semester abroad in London. We lived in a flat near the Marble Arch, and it was the best few months of my life - hands down.

What I wish I knew then was how to pack for this wonderful time of my life. I brought two massive suitcases (weighing very close to 50lbs each), one carry on sized suitcase with my heaviest items, and one "personal item", a pretty large duffle, that I would never get away with these days. 

I have so much advice for you, future study abroad student, you have no idea.

I'll share my massive mistakes, and provide some smart solutions... so you don't have to share in my overpacking misery.

MISTAKE: Bringing too much luggage. As I said, essentially I brought 4 pretty sizable bags.
SOLUTION: Bring one large suitcase and a 30-40L backpack for weekend trips. Remember - this is a lot of space. Just because you have two big bags doesn't mean you have to FILL them.

MISTAKE: Bringing 20 scarves & 5 thin jackets. Scarves are bulky, and 5 jackets are too many - not to mention I needed something a little more heavy duty once we got into December.
SOLUTION: Bring 3-4 scarves, 1 heavier coat and 1 lightweight jacket.

MISTAKE: Bringing unnecessary, bulky toiletries
SOLUTION: Things like your favorite foundation or specialty product (like prescription face wash) should come with you. Regular things like body lotion, body wash & shampoo (especially things that you will run out of anyway) should just be purchased once you land. No use wasting precious kilos & space on things you can easily pick up abroad. This goes for things like tampons, Qtips, nail polish remover, etc. Bring enough to get you through a week and grab some at a local store. 

It's fun trying new products abroad! I found some of my favorite lip gloss & mascara when I was living in England. Don't be afraid to try something new.

MISTAKE: Packing copious amounts of unseasonable clothes "just incase", knowing we would have a chance to travel Europe
SOLUTION: Do your research about the time of year you'll be studying abroad in your specific location. Pack 80% for your climate you'll be in full time, and 20% for specialty items. 

So for me, I should have brought primarily jeans, tops, boots, and sweaters, and brought a few dresses, tank tops, a pair of shorts and flip flops for warm weather trips. This way, I was outfitted for a trip to Greece, but I didn't have half of my clothing sitting useless for most of my time in London (plus, most places nearby were cold in October). Also remember, layering is your friend!

MISTAKE: Overpacking on shoes, purses & other accessories. Let's just say there were at least 3 pairs of heels and 4 medium-large purses.
SOLUTION: One of each would suffice - athletic shoes, boots, flats, sandals. I did not need heels AT ALL (I wore one pair one time).... the nice flats, boots or sandals would have worked just fine. Also, one carry-all bag, a cross body bag (great for traveling!) and a clutch would have fit inside of each other and covered a multitude of sins.  

MISTAKE: Bringing extremely specific items
SOLUTION: Choose versatile pieces, like neutrals, and add color w/ jewelry & scarves. Also, choose pieces you can layer & pack easily without wrinkling. Make sure that these pieces mix & match with other items, so you'll have the maximum amount of outfits with the least amount of pieces.

MISTAKE: Bringing things I never wore at home
SOLUTION: If you don't wear it at home, you won't wear it on the road. Leave anything like this at home. Repeat - LEAVE IT AT HOME. Sorry, I didn't mean to yell ;)

MISTAKE: Bringing things you're too attached to
SOLUTION: Anything you'd be lost without, please leave it at home. It's unlikely that you'll be mugged, but why risk it? Keep valuables at home and bring costume jewelry, leave extra delicate tops and dresses and opt for less expensive pieces. 

MISTAKE: TOO MANY BOOKS.
SOLUTION: You're lucky, you live in an age of e-readers and iPads. We brought books, unfortunately. I didn't think about the fact that there are libraries all over the world, and many hostels have a take one/leave one mentality. Leave any unnecessary books at home. Here's how to get e-books for free (you can even download Kindle apps on your laptop!)

MISTAKE: Bringing two things that did the same thing
SOLUTION: I believe this was my problem in my entire packing strategy. Why bring two light weight black jackets... when 1 works just fine? Why bring two pairs of neutral flats? Why on earth bring 20 scarves, when you're only going for 4 months?!? I'm telling you, less is more. 

MISTAKE: Leaving no room for souvenirs
SOLUTION: Underpack, and pick up some fun things on the way! If I only brought 2 or 3 scarves, I could have picked a few up on my travels and had plenty of room to spare. Also, funky jewelry is fun to buy as a souvenir. (More on souvenirs, here!)

The truth is.... with all that clothing, I still felt like I had nothing to wear, because so little of my "closet" worked together. I had plenty of "fancy" clothes (ya know, JUST INCASE...), but not as much for the every day. I had 5 jackets, but none of them kept me warm! I ended up wearing mostly the same things, but I brought so much - for pretty much no reason at all.

Don't make the same mistakes I did. Pack light, pack smart, and have SO MUCH FUN during your semester abroad! :)
xo

Travel vs. College

Yesterday, an article titled 6 Lessons Travel Teaches You That College Never Will was floating around the web. Several of my friends shared it on numerous social networks, and I read it as soon as I saw the title. As a travel addict, I of course loved & agreed with every single word. I agree that college is forced on so many that aren't interested, and travel is barely offered as an option to most. I'm a huge advocate for traveling, and have never understood why a 'Gap Year' was such a faux pas in the United States (when it's so common in the rest of the world). My semester in London changed my life FOREVER, in ways I struggle to put into words when asked about it. This article didn't only make sense to me, it explained a part of my soul in a way.

However, the more I thought about it throughout the day, I realized that there are definitely two sides to this story. Two sides I've experienced personally and simultaneously: travel & college.

I attended college in the traditional sense; I started the Fall following my high school graduation, I completed it in four years, lived in a dorm (for a time), had a full coarse load, participated in campus events, ate terrible food from the cafeteria, joined clubs & organizations, was completely broke most of the time, pulled all nighters and made life long friends. I also learned about true community, hard work, and a lot about being an adult. I wouldn't trade my four years for anything.

I spent a semester abroad in London, and during that time, I traveled to 10 different countries throughout Europe and Africa. I returned to London the following year to live & work in the city. I've continued to travel the United States & visit Europe. I'm constantly searching for the next adventure and love everything this big beautiful world has to offer. I truly get sad thinking about how many wonderful places there are in the world, and that' I'll never have enough time to see them all. The best four years of my life were extended to five, when I was able to have all these incredible experiences. I can't imagine my life without this time... both as a tourist and a resident of a different corner of the earth.

There are so many things that a college experience teaches you that travel can't. I could say that farming teaches you things you'd never learn as an investment banker, and vice versa. But is that the point? Not everyone needs to know how to milk a cow or play the stock market. We all have passions, gifts and strengths that can be developed in many different ways.

The truth is, it's not travel vs. college. You can have BOTH. You can have neither. I think both sides are worth exploring, and both can offer amazing experiences, unique to themselves. All experiences & paths in life are different and can be equally incredible and beautiful.

There's no magic formula. Everyone is different. Learn about yourself and decide what's important, interesting, and turns you into the person you want to be (both personally & professionally). Don't go to college if you truly don't think you want to. You have to decide what you want and make it happen, whatever that that might be.

Don't let money discourage you from travel or college. If they are important to you, find a way to make them happen. They aren't enemies, I think they go hand in hand quite well.

I know plenty of college graduates that are struggling financially and in their career. College does not guarantee you a job, it just provides you with extra knowledge and experience. In the same thought, I know plenty of people who have traveled and are still intolerant, closed minded, and devoid of culture.

Stamps in your passport & a framed degree have this in common: they are only proof of the experience. It's truly up to you to learn about life, culture, community, yourself, others, how to contribute to society, how to love, budget, make hard decisions and who you are going to be.

Like I said, I loved this article and everything it highlighted! I just happen to think life is more à la carte than prix fixe, don't you?

Did you go to college? Travel? Neither? Both?