When I was first applying to study abroad, one of the most daunting challenges I faced was figuring out how to pack. A quick google search on this topic will yield some valid, but generic advice. I was able to piece this together into what I thought was a more appropriate list for me and other study abroaders. I wanted to dedicate a post to the great challenge that is packing for a long-term trip. Because that’s the kind of travel blog I want this to be. Not just a list of all the places I go and things I do, but rather a source of practical tips, honest observations, and general guidance for future study abroaders.

One of the biggest inspirations I found in my online search for packing tips was a video posted by a woman who travelled around Asia for a year with just a normal-sized backpack. She’s a real minimalist, and while I surely wouldn’t advise packing that light for a study abroad semester, she proved to me that we don’t actually need anywhere near the amount of stuff we think we need to not only survive, but to have a great time.You can wear most clothes more than once per wash, you don’t need to pack for every “what if,” and you will, in fact, be happier if you don’t have to carry your weight in luggage. This philosophy helped me take a hard look at each item I wanted to pack and honestly assess whether or not I really needed it. Miraculously, I neither over- or underestimated the amount of stuff to take (from what I can tell at this point). The stuff that I decided to put in the “yes” pile was the exact amount that would fit in my suitcase later. Now, I don’t claim to be an actual minimalist. I did fill the absolute maximum amount of free luggage, but I’m proud of myself because a few years ago, that’s the amount I would have packed for one month. In fact, that’s the amount I did pack for one month and it was way too much. This time, I really think it’s gonna last four months.
So I think I’ll start my packing advice with a few examples of what not to pack, most of which stem from my shock and horror at what some of the study abroaders of YouTube suggested. Most of this is more applicable to women, but hey, we’re the ones who usually need help with this kind of thing.

Things not to pack:
Hair dryers/curling irons/straighteners—That’s an obvious one, you don’t want to light your hair on fire. Personally, I decided to avoid this issue by re-perming my hair. Bringing the 80s back! And of course, they sell hair appliances abroad too.

Full-sized soaps/shampoos—It really bugs me how people can’t live without their very specific brands. Don’t waste space and weight in your luggage with this stuff. Just pack travel-sized bottles to last a week, and after that, be adventurous and try the local products. One exception to this is all prescription and OTC medication, which may be unavailable in many areas.

Season specific clothing—Know the climate before you go, and don’t pack a bunch of heavy sweaters or a bunch of short shorts if you won’t need them several times.

Too much clothing/accessories—Don’t bring your entire jewelry collection. I packed one necklace, one bracelet, one ring, and 2 pairs of earrings. Tangent time: I saw some girl giving packing advice on YouTube who had about 15 bras in her suitcase! I can’t imagine why that would be necessary.

Feminine products—This one really gets me, at least if you’re going to Europe. Several girls have
advised bringing your own, but before you waste space on that, just take a second to ask yourself how millions of European women manage to get by with what’s available in their countries. Another YouTube nut actually packed 2 giant Costco-sized boxes of tampons for her trip and acted like that was a good tip. I don’t want to judge others and I know that we all have things we won’t budge on, but I actually laughed out loud at that video and the size of those boxes. Becoming adaptable to new environments is a life skill. Come on girls, let’s learn it!

Too many shoes/heels—The final YouTube nut advised brining about 8 pairs of shoes, 3 of which were heavy boots. Believe me, I wish I could do that, but with no room left in my one suitcase, I had to pick just 4 to pack in carry-on and the heaviest to wear on the plane. Also, you really, really, really don’t want to bring heels to Europe. Heels + cobblestones = pain and embarrassment.

And finally, the worst offense of them all…
American junk food—IF I HEAR ONE MORE PERSON TELL ME TO PACK PEANUT BUTTER AND/OR KRAFT MAC & CHEESE, I’M GONNA LOSE IT! And it’s not just because I don’t particularly like these 2 foods. It’s the principle of it. First, I wish people knew how easy it is to make real mac & cheese that’s infinitely better than the box. In fact, I think I’ll make that my first abroad recipe post! Secondly, I hate the idea of clinging to comfort junk food instead of trying local foods. You have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try some really yummy stuff that you’re gonna miss when you go home. Embrace it and enjoy it!

And now for what you should pack:
Disclaimer: I don’t know if I made all the right decisions, but I did my best, and I feel confident that I’ll have what I need. Sometime during my semester, I’ll do an update post to talk about what I wish I would have packed or left at home.

To start the process, I spread out a big sheet on my floor and pulled things out of my closet, organizing them first into “yes” and “maybe” piles and then into item categories. This is all the clothing I ended up packing:

     Some people may find this boring, but I want to list everything I packed because I found it extremely helpful when other people posted their packing lists on their travel blogs. Just in general, I tried to pack mix and match clothiers in mostly neutrals with a few pops of color. I opted for comfort, layering, and versatility above all. If a particular item didn’t match with at least 2 other things, I wouldn’t bring it. I didn’t pack clothes I don’t like, but I also didn’t pack my favorite/nicest things either. Many pieces are hand-me-downs, thrift shop gems, or just sort of on their last leg. That way, if I need to throw things out at the end of the semester to make room for accumulated junk, I won’t have a problem doing that. Finally, remember to wear your heaviest clothes and shoes on the plane. In my case, that’s jeans, my snow-proof walking shoes, and my winter parka.

In the big suitcase:
8 t-shirts/everyday shirts (all short sleeves for layering with cardigans)
3 either casual or dressy tops
1 dressy top
4 cardigans
2 pairs of jeans
1 pair of khakis
1 black dress pant
1 casual khaki skirt
1 pair of longer khaki shorts
1 pair of black leggings
1 pair of yoga pants (that double as pajamas)
2 workout/sleep t-shirts
1 lounge/sleep short
2 versatile black dresses, 1 printed
2 pairs of black tights (because 1 will rip)
5 tank tops/layering camis
1 swimsuit
1 swim coverup/PJ
1 dressy coat
1 spring windbreaker
5 printed scarves (plus a warm one with hat and gloves)
socks, underwear, and bras (but not 15 of them, see above)
minimal toiletries and makeup

To actually pack the suitcase, I first used all of my roll-up space bags, and then packed things by category in gallon ziplock bags. Those are like the poor man’s space bag because you can squish all the extra air out. Every piece of clothing (except jeans) is in an airtight bag, tightly rolled, not folded. I’m really not usually so OCD, I got the bag idea from YouTube too, and it’s brilliant. There’s no way I would have fit everything with any other method.

Carry-on baggage:
My airline allows one carry-on and one “personal item.” Because I would probably go nuts if I didn’t have a guitar for 4 months, I bought a really cheap as-is, travel-sized one that counts as my carry-on. Then i stuffed the case with all of my paperback books. It’s probably not great for the guitar, but I’m not wasting any space. And isn’t it pretty?

So that meant that I only had the “personal item” left in my luggage allowance. Usually, they say this is supposed to be a purse or laptop bag, but I’ve never been stopped in all my years of using my regular-sized school backpack and calling that my “personal item.” That way, I can fit my laptop, my entire purse, plus some other stuff in it. These are the other miscellaneous items I recommend bringing:

Shoes—because there’s no real weight restriction for carry-ons, or at least, they don’t check it. I will wear my good walking shoes and I packed a pair of black flats, converse sneakers, comfortable walking sandals, and shower flip-flops. If it was summer, I would have bought flip flops there but unfortunately, it’s January.

laptop, camera, smartphone at least for wifi use, plus all the cords and chargers, and an adapter
laptop lock
regular lock (for hostel lockers)
ethernet cord (unless you’re confident in the wifi wherever you’re going)
small umbrella
a folder with important documents
one notebook (This is study abroad after all.)
medication/contacts/glasses
sunglasses
minimal jewelry
a bunch of ziplock bags–I heard that they don’t have them in Germany, but I guess I’ll find out.
American measuring cups—For me, that’s a necessity.

Except for a few other little things, that’s pretty much it. Of course I’m afraid that I forgot something, but in the end, the most important thing to remember is that I can’t be prepared for everything, but I will figure it out when I need to.