Packing - Everyone's Worst Nightmare

There are only three days left until the session 1 study abroad trips start! I hope you're as excited as I am! If you haven’t started packing yet, or thought about it, you should probably start now. Everyone stresses and turns packing into a HUGE deal. Well, guess what? It doesn’t have to be a big deal unless you make it one. Follow my easy packing tips and you will never worry about packing again. Believe me, it took multiple packing nightmares for me to finally become a packing expert. Every time you travel, you learn new tips and tricks to make traveling easier and your smile bigger! 

Here are my basic packing rules:

Pack light, travel happy: There is nothing worse than having to sift through a suitcase that is popping at the seams. It causes unwanted stress and wastes your time when you could be doing better things, like watching the sunrise over Portugal or eating in a local cafe. It doesn't matter where I'm going, or for how long, I always take a carry-on-sized suitcase. This prevents me from overpacking because if you have space, believe me, you will fill it! Traveling light also keeps your feet and back happy. You're going to be traveling and walking a TON and you don't want to be weighed down by your baggage. Many hostels and homestays don't have towels, so it is really important to bring one, but they take up tons of room. I recommend bringing a travel towel, they are light, small, and bacteria resistant, which is good since we won't be doing laundry for about 10 days. 

Pack for comfort, mix, and match:  Okay, I'm not going to lie, this one is very hard for me. Mainly, because I LOVE tie-dye. It is a lot easier to mix and match when you have basic, solid colors, but where is the fun in that? So, if you're like me, and love something hard to match with other things (like tie-dye), limit yourself to one of your favorite, go-to, crazy shirts. For the rest of your clothes, keep it simple, and flexible. I like to take t-shirts and tanks that I can dress up (with a necklace or cute earrings) or dress down. ALWAYS have a good pair of walking shoes. I also take a pair of sandals that are comfy for walking and one pair I can wear when I'm dressing up.

Roll your clothes:  Rolling your clothes might seem silly, but it really helps save space, and you can access items faster. First, fold your clothes in half (and fold the sleeves in, if it's a shirt), and then start rolling until you've created, what looks like, a sushi roll made out of clothes.   

Use packing cubes or compression bags: I love organization, and without packing cubes, packing is not organized. I want to easily access my shirts or shorts without having to take everything out of my bag. Or have you ever packed a suitcase perfectly, and then realized you forgot to put your shoes at the bottom? Packing cubes prevent you from having to unpack everything; all you would have to do is take the packing cubes out! It's an item I don't know how I traveled without. They also compress your stuff and give you more room. 

In case you are doubting me, yes, I did fit everything from the first picture into my 22", Eddie Bauer, rolling duffel and I still have room for my toiletries and undergarments. I also didn't put my jacket into my packing cubes so that I could easily access it from the top. 

Put heavy things on the bottom: This helps your bag roll smoother and prevents the heavy things from smashing everything else when you lift your bag up. 

If you’re second guessing it, leave it at home: If you keep asking yourself, should I take this? You shouldn't. 

Bring a book: I always take a book when traveling, but I only read it on the plane, when I need a mental break or on a really long car ride. When I'm out and about, at my destination, I like to leave my book behind in the hotel/hostel/tent. That way, I can absorb the local culture and not seem unapproachable because I have my head in a book. 

Don’t stress!: I know packing is stressful, especially when it's your first big trip abroad, but don't worry. It's okay If you pack too much or too little because, at the end of the day, you are having a once in a lifetime experience and experiencing a beautiful, new, and exciting country! 

Pack your carry-on with essential items: Make sure everything, really important to you, is in your carry on bag. You never know when your luggage might get lost or when your flight will be delayed. I like to carry two changes of clothes, my electronics, travel adaptor, a book, sweater, passport, notebook, important documents, medications, deodorant, toothbrush, and anything else I couldn't bear to lose if my checked bag was lost.  You need to make sure you have enough to get you by, for a few days, if anything was to happen to your checked bag. 

Random tips:  Wear your bulky shoes and jacket to the airport to save room in your bags. Bring a few ziplock bags. They are always needed for dirty shoes, liquid toiletries, soiled clothes, and the list goes on. Make sure to have a bag for your dirty laundry, you don't want them rolling around with your clean clothes. Bring a day pack in your carry on or use your carry on as your day pack. Keep your passport close (it's pretty important) and make copies of it and your debit/credit cards. Get some No- Jet Lag pills (they are AMAZING) and have kept me going through trips on zero hours of sleep. Girls, don't bring heels or a pound of makeup (less is more).  BRING SNACKS (airport food is expensive). Don't forget your water bottle, for some reason, I always do. 

The list of tips for keeping your packing stress free is endless and I could go on all day about it, but I hope there is enough in this post to get you through your first trip abroad. I love traveling and you will too, especially without the stress of an overpacked, unorganized bag. It's all about knowing you don't need to pack everything and being strategic with your clothing options. If you forget something or lose something, you can always buy it! At the end of the day, it won't matter what you are wearing as long as you are having fun and learning something new! 

Now, finish packing and have an AWESOME trip abroad!