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When I accepted my job to Taiwan, I was over the moon ecstatic. Living abroad was something I’d always wanted to do, ever since I could remember, and it was finally happening. There were so many things to straighten out and prepare for, but by God, the most annoying of them all was packing. Yes, that’s right. Packing.
I’d packed loads of times. I’d packed for two weeks in Europe. I’d packed for a weekend trip for hockey. Heck, I’d even packed for an entire school year in Pittsburgh. But packing to move a day’s trip away from my home city was mind boggling. I hadn’t the slightest idea where to start. By the end of it, I made a few small mistakes, and it took me about a dozen times of stuffing my suitcase full, unloading it, then checking it again before I finally put my stuff into the car and knew it was finished. So, in order to save some of you who may be preparing yourselves to make a life-changing move, sometimes overseas or even across the country, I have a few tips:
- Only pack your favorite clothing items. I emphasize favorite because I had many favorites at the time of my departure. I packed loads of things I don’t even wear today, for more reasons than they fell apart or I don’t fit in them anymore. For a place like Taiwan, it’s easy to pack for the seasons because you just pack for Midwestern fall, spring, and summer. Winter clothing isn’t necessary. But be sure to check the weather where you’re moving to, pick out two weeks worth of your absolute favorites, and put them into your luggage. Then boom, clothing is finished.
- Shoes and accessories need not be plenty. This goes along the same lines as clothing. Find your favorites or items that go with many items and set those aside. Find items that have multiple uses and you’ll be in even better hands. It’s not necessary to pack a whole walk in closet worth of handbags, necklaces, scarves, and shoes. If I remember correctly, I packed about half of my shoes and a handful of jewelry and bags. I left the rest at home. It’s better to underestimate and have room to buy some interesting, rare sights wherever you’re moving to, anyways, at least in my opinion.
- Go travel size with toiletries or not at all. Chances are you only need the smallest size of beauty products, unless you’ve looked into it and you can’t get your necessities where you’re going. I managed to find replacements or the same brand for what I usually purchase in Taiwan, so don’t waste precious packing space for toiletries. Plus, you’ll need it for something much more important…
- Pick a few small mementos to make your new home cozy. This doesn’t have to be anything ridiculously heavy or expensive either. I packed a scrapbook, some photos, a sign that said “May Your Adventures Always Lead You Home”, and my Kindle and a few of my favorite books. I didn’t pack too much, and I was glad I brought what I did to make my new home comfortable and like home. Trust me, if you’re worried about homesick, this will do wonders.
- Lastly, make sure you can carry your luggage and it will last the trip. Funny story: both of my suitcases broke the moment I arrived in Taiwan. I had to throw them out shortly after moving into my studio apartment. So, let this be a warning from someone who lived through having to carry her just at weight limit bags through various train stations and up several flights of stairs on her own: check your damn bags for any and all areas of possible breakage or weaknesses. Invest in a nice bag, and make sure your older suitcase is most trustworthy. And mostly importantly, make sure you can carry it. Likely, no one is going to be there as your personal bag assistant, so be sure you can handle what you plan to bring. As my parents always told me, if you can’t carry it yourself, don’t bring it.
I hope this helps any and all who are looking to pack, especially for a move as vast and long as a move like going from America to Taiwan. May you take these lessons of mine and use them, unlike I did at the start. Are there any other things I missed? Anything that assisted you in a big move? Share with me in the comments below!
