Packing

Naturally, I am a heavy packer, but when traveling internationally for months at a time, not only do you need more than clothing, you also have to think about electronics, books, and practically what you need to live.

When I started, I packed all the clothes I liked, coming to about ten pounds shy of the fifty pound weight limit. The only problem was, I hadn’t packed my school. With my heavy books, my baggage took a new height of sixty pounds. Not good. So, I began the long process of “sifting”, as I call it, in other words, taking all the items and clothes that you don’t strictly need. Like, instead of taking four pairs of pants, cut it down to one in the suitcase, carry one in your carryon, and wear your favorite on the airplane. I practically did this to all my things, until I was just five below the weight limit, providing five pounds of extra room for any last minute storaging. Let’s just say, you don’t realize how much stuff you have until you try to pack it all in one suitcase.

As I alluded to earlier, my carryon is kind of like an overflow. If I can’t fit it in the suitcase, it will go in my carryon. Because baggage could be easily lost during flights, I also have to bring all necessary items in the carryon, including two or three pairs of clothes, cosmetics, and electronics. Once you check your suitcase, you may never see it again, so it is always smart to bring whatever is close to you close by you. But the main problem is that the weight of the carryon can only approach fifteen pounds. So, in the end, after a bunch of sifting, I managed to meet all the weight limits.

Thanks to God, everything turned out well, and I didn’t have to pack too light, but had every thing I needed! 🙂