Ah, packing. It’s always so much more fun in your imagination to pack than it is to actually do so. If you’re like me, you have a hard time packing just once. I’m pretty sure before I left for America, I packed at least four times. I spent hours making sure everything fit, contemplating if I really needed two gray t-shirts, weighing the suitcases again, and then I’d finish it off by staring at my luggage hoping osmosis would occur and I’d feel fine with my packing job. And it’s harder to pack things for a trip knowing you aren’t just traveling, you’re moving. You aren’t sure when you’ll be back so everything has to make the trip across the Pacific with you. (We all know shipping is expensive, nobody got money for that.)
Somehow, I managed to fit everything I wanted to take back to America in two giant candy colored rolling suitcases and two carry on bags. Don’t ask me how, because I still am scratching my head and impressed with myself for fitting my life into that little. But, if you’re looking to move abroad or looking to move home, here’s an idea of some of the things that made the cut when I moved back home, by category:
- Clothes: This one is a no brainer, but maybe you’d be surprised by how little I brought back with me. Moving from Taiwan to America, there were more things to consider other than different climates when it came to what to keep and what to toss. Like think fashion for example. People in Asia have a different sense of fashion than everyone in America, in some regards. My sense of style will change, and that’s okay. Which is why I only packed the basics and my absolute favorites. Only the necessary, not destroyed shoes made the cut. But of course, I kept some of my favorite items I found here in Taiwan.
- Mementos: When you’ve lived abroad for a while, most of your mementos sort of just become the photographs and notes you receive over the years. Most of my mementos are drawings from my students, photos of my friends and I, my award from my previous job, and other gifts that I received over the years that were too cool to part with.
- Important Documents: Passport, Old ARC, Background checks, tax information, and all that jazz. Seriously, this is the one thing you cannot forget. You’d be surprised how handy having all this stuff is when you move back and you have to explain where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to.
- My absolute favorite-can’t-get-anywhere-else toiletries from Taiwan: There weren’t very many, but I did take home some face masks, maybe a face wash or two, and other stuff. There’s just some stuff you can’t get anywhere else! And taking it back home is like taking a little piece of Taiwan with me wherever I go in the world next.
- And last but not least, the in-flight essentials: These are some of the same things I talked about before in a previous post. In my carry on, I kept my coloring book for the long flight across the Pacific with my coloring pencils, an eye mask, ear plugs, two sets of headphones (in case one died, as they are both bluetooth), a reusable water bottle, and my portable charger. I also packed a small travel size lotion and some facial wipes, because the long trips always leave you feeling a whole other sort of gross when you finally arrive.
If there’s anything I missed that you thought would make it into the list, let me know down below! Until next time,
