In only a a few more months, a lot of teenagers and young adults will be packing and eventually boarding a plane to their destination. They will be going to study abroad. {Does that include you?! If so, where are you going?} The experience will be one of a lifetime. Emotions will be skyrocketing in every, which way: happiness, sadness, fear, nervousness. But the ultimate emotion is different for everybody, but it is almost always worth it.
But before all of those emotions start skyrocketing and going in a million different places at once, it is crucial to figure out what to pack, and better yet, how many suitcases you should take. That is the number one question exchange students ask each other, past exchange students, and their organizations. Depending on who is asked, you will get different answers, but these answers generally will not exceed 2 bags (not including carry-ons). If you ask same-year exchange students, they will be confused (just like you probably will be!) and bring up what they have heard, read, and been told. They aren't the most reliable when trying to figure out what to do because the normal response is, "I don't know...maybe\possibly." The second type of person, ex-exchange students (like me!), will tell you what we did and our regrets. And lastly, the organization will tell you that you should only take as much as you can carry because when you travel, you have to handle all of your luggage yourself. (That's them telling you to take one, subliminally, unless you're super strong.)
My experience was that I took two suitcases, a 25" and 29", a large purse, and a book-bag. It was pretty practical with how many clothes and shoes I took, but then again, it was not practical because I over-packed. {I only had 1 lb to go before I hand to pay a overweight fee.}When I first touched down in Germany, I did not have to handle my bags because I had a connecting flight to Munich. Once in Munich, my YFU Representative helped me with my bags, so I only had to carry my purse, book-bag, and one suitcase. After I left my temporary host-family, I shipped one bag to my permanent host-family. If you notice a trend, I never really had to handle my bags until the very end. Which was a freaking headache. I had anxiety the whole week before and day-of because I had to travel on the train with two huge suitcases, a book-bag, and a freaking purse. The train ride was a nightmare {a story for another time}, so by the time it was time for us to check-in our bags for the flight, I was overjoyed. But that was just me.
If you are like me, let me tell you what I wish I would have done. I would have halved everything that I packed. No, seriously. Pack normally, and then take half of it all out. Do not pack things that you think you "might" wear; pack things that you know you will wear. It is important to pack for situations that will most likely occur, but for other things such as a formal event or wedding, that's not important. You can buy new clothes or shoes wherever you are then. Save room. Once you half your suitcase(s), hopefully you will be able to fit everything into one suitcase. Still take a book-bag and a purse, if you want; those were easy to tote around. Just be very careful how you pack your suitcase.
If you are not like me, are the complete opposite, and know how to not over-pack, stick with the one bag rule + carry-ons. It'll be easier for you to do because you're so organized and have everything together.
Summed Up:
- Future/Current Exchange Students will not know how to answer you when you ask how many suitcases should you take. They don't know either.
- Past Exchange Students will tell you their stories and regrets (like I did) and let you base your decision off of that.
- Exchange Organizations will tell you to take only the bags that you will be able to handle alone.
- Do not over-pack. Cut everything you pack in half. {No, do not literally half the items, just take them out of your suitcase.}
- Regardless to if you are an over-packer or a perfect-packer, ONLY TAKE ONE BAG + carry-on's. You will thank me.
