Ever since I started packing for myself, packing and I have had a love-hate relationship. Especially packing for trips that aren't just to grandma's house where if you forget something it's no biggie. There was the mission trip to NYC my freshman year of high school where I painfully underpacked and had to wear the same sweaty tshirt three days in a row. Then there was the same trip my senior year of high school, where after vowing to never underpack again, I was towing around a giant suitcase and probably only wore half of what I packed. I hate packing because there's always the last minute panic of wondering if you remembered your charger or your toothbrush. But I also love packing because of the organization and the planning it involves. My inner planning nerd always tends to come out and I see it as a challenge to pack well.
So now you know way more than you ever needed to about my love-hate relationship with packing, and as our trip to SE Asia approaches (less than three weeks!), it's definitely been something that's on my mind.
We've gone back and forth on if we should do two small carry-ons, or one bigger checked luggage, or one checked and one carry-on, the possibilities are endless! (well, not really, but there are a few to consider). On top of that is the fact that we'll be in lots of different atmospheres and situations—meeting with different organizations and ministries, time in rural Cambodia, and then a few days at the end that we're tacking on at a resort in Thailand. That's a pretty broad spectrum to pack for!
I've been scouring the interwebs for packing wisdom and have found this article on packing in just a carry-on suitcase that seems like it will be helpful, as well as this one about packing your carry-on bag.
Overall, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the task. Not like fall apart in a puddle of tears overwhelmed, more like a "Help! Share your wisdom with me!" overwhelmed. So I would LOVE any tips, tricks, and advice that you world travelers have! Carry-on vs. checked, what not to bring and what I won't be able to live without, any articles you have found helpful... please share your knowledge!
Pack:
ReplyDelete-things that don't wrinkle easily
-a change of clothes (or two)in your carry-on
-outfits that interchange (so you can wash/re-wear in a new combo if necessary)
-things you feel comfortable in/feel good about yourself in; think: what's my go-to-confident-woman-looking-good-in-a-strange-place outfit?
-remember: multipurpose, multipurpose, multipurpose
-a hat for when your hair gets kinda weird :)
Strategy:
-roll everything up
-wear layers on the plane
-double bag all those toiletries (pressure variations sometimes equal explosions of liquids)
-leave some space in your suitcase, weight-wise
Those are my standard packing thoughts. :) When I was strugging to pack this weekend to go on a roadtrip, I thought to myself: "You lived out of two suitcases for half a year. You CAN be selective about what you pack." ;)