Alright so I am finally headed into my last week here in Montreal. I resigned from my job, and making plans to see friends and family who want to see me before I leave. It is also time to start packing!!!
So... how does one pack for a year abroad in Europe ? I have to admit that before this adventure I could count the number of trips that I have taken in my life on 2 hands. Those trips were usually down south or weekend getaways in Ontario and the U.S that usually lasted for about a week or a weekend. I have always over packed in each of those cases and what usually happens is that I never up wearing everything I bring.
So this time around, I decided to do some research only because I found out that the airline that I will be flying with only allows one luggage, one carry on, and one small purse. A second luggage would mean that I would have to pay an additional fee of around $100 CDN. For someone who is on a budget I'd like to avoid it as much as possible.
While doing research and talking to a few people who have spent a few months abroad and after spending some time going through my closet dumping and removing clothes from my suitcase I am almost done packing.
Torino has all 4 seasons so I made sure to pack up a 2-3 pairs of pants and maybe 5 -6 long sleeve tops that I can create more outfit combinations by dressing it up with some accessories and some scarves. Some of the accessories will be my own and some I'm sure that I can get while I'm down there as it will give me a chance to explore the city and to go shopping!!
Some of my summer clothes (which include t-shirts and tank tops) about 3 pairs of shorts and 2 skirts . My first initial thought when I looked at the few pieces of clothing was that this was not a lot!! Then again, with me being a girl and trying to get creative with jewelry and accessories, 1 piece of clothing can be made into 2 or more outfits!!
Now that the clothes have been covered, one last thing that I will mention are toiletries!! When I was speaking with my peers and doing some more research online, I have come to learn that everyone that I talk to and everything that I read will mention the same thing : Italy is a civilized country so it will be pretty easy to buy shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste, creams, hair products etc. Even though they are probably right, I still packed a few free sample toiletries to get me by for the first couple of weeks.
So that's it for this post!!! Let me know what your thoughts/ideas are for what I've packed, and also share some of your experiences if you have ever done this before!!