This is one of my favorite things to give advice about, it might seem like such an easy concept, but a surprising number of people don’t think it through. Almost every time I’ve given my spiel about what to pack for a long term trip, I get the response “oh, wow, that’s actually really helpful, thanks!” They don’t think it’s going to be helpful- BUT IT IS.
My first strategy is to keep your big suitcase open in the middle of your floor for a week. Just throw stuff into it as you see something you want to take with you. Looking at that huge pile of stuff you want to bring is a great wake-up call. When you’re ready to really pack, you need to pull everything out and have a good talk with yourself to see if you really need it. Does this bring me joy? It really is quality over quantity- bring your favorite and the cutest outfits, they’ll be in all your pictures!
When it’s time to really pack- you have a choice to make: to roll, or to fold? I’m not that into rolling when you roll EVERYTHING, but it does have its benefits. Fold the big stuff- jeans sweaters, etc, but roll the small stuff, and tuck it into the spaces. When you roll big stuff it leaves big canyons between the rolls and you lose all that space.
One thing you might not think about when packing for a long period of time is the changing of the seasons. Its hard to think about what you’ll be wearing in spring in the middle of winter. My favorite advice is pack more warm weather clothes than cold weather clothes. You’re going to be wearing a coat in all of your winter pictures anyway, so it’s not like you need the variety. Another plus side is that shorts and shirts are smaller, so you can fit way more of them!
My last bit of advice is a trick to give yourself more room to bring home souvenirs- pack BIG bottles of your favorite bath products. Not only will you have a nice luxury from home for a while, but you’ll be able to fill that space with trinkets later!
Finding Eden 