By Giuliana Keeth
Packing was one of my worst enemies while I was preparing to travel to Paris. Nothing really prepares you for the physical and mental stress of packing to spend a prolonged period of time in a country thousands of miles away from home. October 15th was the confirmation date for study abroad students next semester, so for those of you who have just committed, it’s time to start thinking about what you want to bring!
Even though I made an entire spreadsheet to track the most important things that I needed to pack from home, it still took me nearly a whole day to have the satisfaction of zipping up my luggage and taking it downstairs. There are a lot of things to keep in mind when packing for studying abroad. Since it is such a complicated process, I’ve taken the initiative of splitting it up into the essentials:
Documents
Firstly, and most importantly, you must make sure to pack all of your important documents in a safe and accessible space. Your passport and any other forms of identification you’ll need for your flight have to remain in a backpack or carry-on bag within hands reach.
For documents such as your study abroad acceptance letter, accommodation summaries, vaccination cards, etc., I recommend digitally scanning each and transferring them onto a hard drive that will only be used for that purpose. You could buy a banker’s bag on Amazon and put the hard drive there, making sure to keep the bag keys in a place you’ll never forget.
Remember, you can always buy clothes, blankets, and toiletries in your new home—replacing a passport on the other hand will entail an incredibly complex and uncomfortable visit to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Toiletries
Even though I was super excited to explore the world of French skincare and beauty products, there are toiletries I use that I would not be able to find in a nearby Monoprix or Carrefour grocery market. If I tried to order them on Amazon France, I would be paying nearly three times the price just for shipping and handling.
Although cleanser or deodorant may be the last thing you are thinking about when packing, trust me and leave a little bit of space to pack away a couple boxes of your most reliable toiletries. Once you arrive in Paris and have to get used to a new lifestyle, not adding your most basic skin care plan to the list of changes might mean a lot more.
Technology
Packing your headphones, computer chargers, and phone chargers seems like second nature when preparing for any trip. However, you need to remember that electricity voltages in France are not the same as in the United States.
Make sure that you either buy a voltage converter or an electrical adapter so that you can charge all of your electronic devices during your stay. Both are equally important while abroad so be sure to make your purchase according to what your specific device requires.
It’s important to determine which category it falls under so that you don’t end up frying circuits if it’s rated for a single AC voltage. Most modern phones and computers have input ranges and will not present this problem, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Reminders Of Home
The hardest obstacle for me to overcome during my first two weeks in Paris was dealing with homesickness. I had spent my last month in the United States carefully planning this trip and my arrival to the city, but nothing could prepare me for the loneliness I felt when I first landed and realized my family and friends were thousands of miles away.
Somehow, it was almost as if I had conveniently forgotten that studying abroad meant I would lose all of my habits and lifestyle for an entire semester: no more studying with friends every weeknight, no more Target trips and smelling the candles at Bath and Body Works (which, by the way, I had no idea the store closed!), or even getting to taste my mother’s cooking at home.
Yet, that is the beauty of studying abroad. You are purposefully uprooting yourself and transplanting your life into a completely new environment. Like trees, we would not be able to survive without taking some traces of our past with us.
I’m not saying that you should take half of your bedroom with you when you study abroad. But, make sure to take a couple small pictures of your loved ones and small reminders of the places you feel most at home in the United States. Being able to see these traces in your room despite all of the changes you are undergoing keeps you rooted and helps you stay positive and enthusiastic during your journey abroad.
Clothes
You might be asking me, how could you put clothing at the bottom of this list? Honestly, I have to admit that when I was packing, making sure I was bringing enough clothes was the very first thing I worried about.
After having lived a month in Paris, though, I’ve come to regret a lot of the decisions I took when choosing outfits. If you don’t live close to the Cornell campus and have to fly back home each semester, this step will probably be much easier for you.
But for those of you who have the privilege of toting an entire carload of items for move-in, listen up. I will emphasize this technique for packing: layering. Instead of trying to pack multiple set outfits, try and make sure that everything you are taking with you can be used in a variety of ways, especially when it comes to matching with a jacket you like. I took way too many articles of clothing that only combine with one jacket, leaving me stranded midway through the week with no cohesive outfit to create.
Also, make sure that you are packing with the weather in mind. If you are planning to study abroad in the fall, make sure you have enough warm sweaters and transition jackets so that you do not feel chilly in October and November before you can don a thick, winter jacket. If you are studying during the Spring semester, make sure you take winter wear, but also keep in mind that you don’t want to be absolutely melting once the temperature warms up. Don’t forget, you are going to Paris, the capital of fashion! Prioritize leaving some space for new additions to your wardrobe that you will want to take back and wear at Cornell. You’ve reached the end of the essential packing list! Woohoo! Ensuring that you have everything packed is the most crucial step before studying abroad. Bon voyage et bonne chance!
Giuliana Keeth is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at gmk74@cornell.edu.
