If there is anything I’ve learned about myself, it’s that overpacking is my biggest weakness. No matter how hard I try to restrict myself, there’s always that fear of forgetting to pack something I might need while away from home. Now, learning from my mistakes, I promise you it’s better to underpack than overpack in this situation. Packing light gives you more freedom to navigate through airports with less to carry around, and it saves space for all the souvenirs you bring back home since you’ll be doing a lot of shopping abroad.
Though there isn’t a guide to tell you what exactly to pack because everyone has different travel plans, there are ways to pack more efficiently. And as an experienced over-packer, I believe my expertise in packing inefficiently can come in handy. So, unless you’re willing to drag a bunch of heavy bags around for hours and hours, I suggest following my three tips on how NOT to pack for an abroad program.
Orientation day at Incheon Memorial Hall at Korea University!1. DO NOT Bring More Than two Suitcases
If there is anything that you should take away from this post, let it be this! If you had seen how many suitcases I traveled with, you would’ve thought I was moving abroad permanently. Getting them around the airport wasn’t so bad since I used one of the luggage carts to carry all my suitcases. However, once we left the airport, the consequences of my actions caught up to me immediately—from hiking up the ramp to my dorm hauling all my suitcases at once, then taking individual trips to bring each suitcase to my dorm room. To add to the pain, my dorm was smack dab in the middle of a steep hill. Luckily, when coming from the airport, we had to walk down the hill, so the walk wasn’t so bad. But having to carry all my luggage again up the hill when moving out is another problem that I don’t even want to think about…
No matter what you do when packing, limit yourself to two suitcases. Whether you’re bringing two checked suitcases, one suitcase and a carry-on, or just one suitcase altogether. Also, remember to be mindful of your airline’s bag restrictions and determine how many bags you’re allowed to check in or bring on board.
One of the many suitcases I had to drag all the way to campus… >.<2. DO NOT Pack Your Whole Closet
I know for some of you, it hurts to hear this. I’m obsessed with my outfits, so the thought of leaving a single clothing item behind pained me. But trust me when I say this: You do NOT need to pack all those outfits. Heck, me packing all of my clothes is the main reason I had to bring more than two suitcases. I brought all of my shirts, dresses, skirts, multiple sandals, and half of my purse collection only for me to use ¼ of my stuff. Rather than worrying about the “picture-perfect” outfit, I should’ve focused on practical outfits and items I would actually need throughout my trip.
To help lighten your load, here are a few suggestions for what clothing items to pack:
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- 5-7 everyday outfits
- 2-3 pajamas
- Undergarments
- 1-2 going-out outfits
- 2-3 pairs of shoes
- A pair of slippers for lounging in your dorm
- Some form of walking shoes (tennis shoes, Converse, etc.)
Make sure you’re aware of the climate where you’ll be staying abroad, whether you’ll be there only for the summer or stay overtime for the colder seasons. Another thing to add is that your host country may have a different fashion style from the one you’re used to in your home country, so you may not use all of the outfits you have already.
A beach outfit I packed that came in handy for our Busan excursion trip!3. DO NOT Carry Full-Sized Toiletries
Leave the shampoo bottles and body wash at home, people! This is another useful tactic that can save you so much space in your luggage and keep your bags from exceeding the 50-lb weight limit when checking them in. Also, it prevents your products from spilling all over and making a mess, which unfortunately happened to my St. Ives pomegranate body wash. :(
Most of the toiletries you’ll need can be bought while you’re abroad. At Korea University, there are a bunch of convenience stores stationed near the dorms, the closest one literally being a two-minute walk from my dorm. If you’re gonna bring any toiletries with you, however, try to opt for travel-sized bottles. They’re spill-free and TSA-friendly!
The only full-sized toiletries you should bring are stuff you feel you won’t be able to find easily abroad. For instance, the hair products I’m using to maintain my braids are very specific. So, I packed them because I knew the chances of me finding similar products in Korea were slim to none.
Ogechi Muruako, The Ohio State University, is studying abroad in South Korea with TEAN.
