Pre Stage: Helpful Hints

Jeudi, 5 septembre.

It's hard to believe that three weeks ago, I was sitting in my room at home, with a giant empty suitcase and the piles upon piles of clothes that I ambitiously hoped to squeeze inside it. Of course, I'd read the Vademecum and googled pictures of the city, but I really had no idea what to expect. So without further ado, here are some of the helpful hints that I wish I'd known a month ago while packing my suitcase!

I think my number one packing rule for anyone following in my footsteps is: if it fits, you bring it. I read a lot of articles and posts before I got here with advice about exactly what (and what not) to bring and most of them agreed on one thing: don't bring too many clothes! But I'm here to tell you -- bring them. Sure, I could have packed seven days worth of clothes and planned to do laundry once a week, but I didn't. I'm here to study and to explore and to live -- not to spend four months roughing it. I mean, I don't think you should go absolutely crazy and ship your whole wardrobe, but if it's something that you need, you want, or you just feel really good in, then into the suitcase it goes!

Here are some of the things that I'm glad I brought ... or that I wish I had brought more of!

• Beach towel. I didn't bring one. Sad face.
• Toiletries. I don't really understand why, but everything feels very expensive here and shampoo and conditioner are no exception. I didn't think I had room in my suitcase for regular-sized bottles, so I purchased three refillable travel bottles bottles and filled them up with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Although I'll have to refill them sooner or later, they've lasted me through the past two and a half weeks! Other toiletries to bring with you -- sunscreen, lotion, facewash. 
• Money -- cash. If you're doing the pre-stage, you'll be walked through the steps of setting up a French bank account, to which you can then wire money from home. It's a convenient and not super complicated process, but it takes time. So in the meantime, make sure you have enough cash to get you through your first few weeks. That includes food and drinks, toiletries and other necessities, souvenirs, and some bigger purchases -- a cell phone, a tram pass, etc. I brought 500 Euros with me and although I still have lots of money left, it's been comforting to know that I have emergency funds if I need them.
• Money -- credit/debit cards. Before you kiss America goodbye, check out your bank's ATM policies. While my credit card charges a certain fee for international transactions, Molly can withdraw money for free on her debit card! Definitely a bonus.
• Comfortable shoes. More than anything, our Pre-Stage has consisted of a LOT of walking ... and I have a feeling that won't slow down as the semester continues. So if you have room in your suitcase, don't feel bad filling the space with shoes! Because it's still summer here, most people are wearing sandals: gladiator sandals are pretty popular, but a lot of girls wear sturdier shoes, like Birkenstocks and Tevas. There's also a lot of sneaker action -- but remember, we're talking Converse and Keds, not Nike. You might be comfortable, but you'll look like the biggest tourist in the world in your bright white New Balance sneaks.
• Tupperware. Tupperware. Tupperware. Oh, how I wish I had packed my luggage full of Tupperware! I'm not kidding. It's so incredibly useful and convenient and although I'm sure they sell it in France, I sure do wish I'd brought my own supply.

Packing? Pas de Problème!

Tuesday, August 13.

Packing has begun in earnest at my household and let's just say, it's one of the more difficult experiences of my young life. It's not like I've never packed before. Every year during my childhood summers, I spent weeks loading Barbie dolls into my Going to Grandma's carry-on for a few weeks of family visits in the USA. Back then, moms were in charge of boring things, like clothes and toothbrushes. In more recent years, I've stuffed suitcases and backpacks for weekend school excursions and week-long trips to the beach. But to pack a suitcase for FOUR MONTHS? Honestly, I can't even imagine.

For some reason that most likely stems back to homework procrastination, I started making a list a few months ago. It's strangely simple, divided into categories and neatly organized on -- what else? -- a PowerPoint slide. Clothes. Shoes. Toiletries. Food (the sole entry here is JIF Peanut Butter, which according to rumors is not available in France). And, most descriptively, "Other Stuff" (a comprehensive list of everything from "favorite book" to "camera batteries").

To help quell the quickly-descending panic, I've been doing some packing-related research. Turns out, I'm not the only college student studying abroad to keep a blog! (Huh...) In addition to other student blogs, I've been able to find some great sites and lists, courtesy of other universities' study abroad programs. Check out some of the most helpful resources below!

• This Basic Packing List for Study Abroad (courtesy of a self-described "study abroad junkie turned photographer") divides necessities into essentials, clothing, toiletries and miscellaneous. She also provides a helpful section that explains not just WHAT to pack, but HOW to pack it. Particularly helpful tip? While many brands are available internationally, some toiletries (especially feminine products) might not be sold where you're travelling!
• La Petite Fille Abroad is one of my new favorite finds. She has several packing-related posts, and you can find all of them here. Another post details her personal flying tips, from asking the flight attendants to fill up your water bottle to bringing your best moisturizer onboard!
• This University of Illinois article called Things to Learn Before you Leave is pretty great! Even though the first suggestion is "don't take a lot of stuff" (a theory to which, I'm scared to say, I do not subscribe), the article is extremely helpful. It provides a sample packing list (although again, it's worryingly short). Particularly helpful hint? Use safety pins to lock your zippers and prevent pick-pocketing!
• Don't let the simple PDF format fool you: this packing list from Oakland University is one of my favorites so far. In addition to listing the items you should pack, they give reasons -- flip flops are great for showering in hostels, dictionaries are cheaper to buy in the States, etc. They also give some quanities to refer to when packing clothes ... although, again, I can't say that I'm going to be sticking too closely to those!
• Getting tired of reading what TO pack? Here's What Not to Pack for Study Abroad. Although some of these tips felt a little obvious (well of course, I'm not bringing a suitcase full of hangers!), some were also extremely helpful. Particularly helpful tip? Don't pack shampoo and conditioner! They weigh down your suitcase and, besides, you can buy them easily in your host country!

I'm sure that there are billions more study abroad sites and blogs with lists just as good if not better than these ... and sometime in the near future, I'm sure I'll be posting my own packing list and suggestions! But for now, I figured I'd share my finds.

Ultimately, I know that I know better than anyone what I'm going to need, use, and wear while studying abroad. After all, although these people have experience on their side, they don't know me and how much I absolutely need to bring my new white Keds. But I'm not going to lie, reading all these posts and articles is already making me reconsider my (supposedly well-thought-out) packing lists! Since I first googled "what to pack to study abroad" an hour ago, I've already updated my list of toiletries, put back a few shirts and nixed a couple pairs of shoes.

T Minus 6 Days

Saturday, August 10.

This time six days (142 hours) from now, I'll be snuggled in my Air France economy seat, flying somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Six. Days. Can you believe it? Because I can't! I'm not sure when the fact that I'm going to France is finally going to sink in, but I'm almost certain that the reality of it all won't hit me until I'm boarding the plane next Friday.

However, I still do have six days ... and thank goodness, because there is a LOT to be done! In addition to getting my life organized for France, I'm finishing up my Clue Week planning and crafting, saying goodbye to friends, cleaning out my room, and having a lot of last-minute adventures! It's been a really great summer thus far, so I don't want to ruin the end of it with a bunch of lazy boring days full of panicking and packing! So the next week will be filled with beach days, road trips, and meals at all my favorite restaurants ... and, of course, a little bit of packing.