Kana Leia's Adventures: Travel Prep & Packing Tips

"Bring half of what you think you need, and twice as much money"

In preparing for my international travels, Pinterest was/is my best friend! Simply search "international traveling/packing tips" and boom! pages of helpful infographics, blogs, articles, etc. I also suggest researching cultural fashion tips to not only try and avoid looking like a tourist, but also to respect cultural values in more conservative places. Check out my Pinterest board "Study Abroad Travels" for some great ideas!

Travel Prep

Store all important travel/study abroad emails and documents in one place. You can create a new desktop/online folder, star individual emails as important, or use any other form of organization. It will make your life so much easier for when you need to reference old emails.
Collect & make photocopies of all important documents (front & back). Keep one copy for yourself and give another to a trusted person in the United States (or your home country).

Driver's license
Passport
Health and/or travel insurance cards
Credit & debit cards
Itinerary
Plane tickets
Acceptance letter(s)
Scholarship letter(s)
Application(s)

International Student Identity Card
Financial stuff

Make a budget. Check out this blog post for more info: Budgeting for Study Abroad
Notify your bank(s) where and when you'll be traveling
Be aware of which cards have foreign transaction fees. Consider applying for a new credit card for traveling (no foreign transaction fees, MasterCard/Visa, travel rewards/points, RFID chip). Before applying for a new credit card, however, you should know your credit score and know how it will be affected if you apply for a new one.
Set up automatic payments (cell phone, housing, credit card, etc.)
Exchange at least $100 into the local currency of the country you're traveling to

Medical stuff

Get traveler's insurance if your current plan doesn't already cover it

AIP - Associated Insurance Plans for College Students
BETA - Basic Emergency Travel Assistance Plan (supplemental policy only)
Frontier MEDEX
HTH Worldwide - Health Insurance for U.S. Students Abroad
International SOS
Patriot Travel Medical Insurance
Note: If you're studying abroad in France, the French government requires you to get one of two French insurance plans. Know before you go! And end up paying more money...

If possible, stock up on prescription medication and/or renew any prescriptions that will expire while you're abroad (don't forget about contraceptives!)
Get all required and recommended vaccinations at CDC Travelers' Health

Decide how you will use your phone abroad. Check out this blog post for more info: A Complete Guide to Using Your iPhone Abroad
Download the XE Currency Exchange app. It's come in handy many times (especially when bargaining) and works offline too.
Chopsticks (筷子) - Prior to going anywhere in Asia, you should learn how to use chopsticks if you don't already know how. You don't, however, have to bring your own pair unless you really want to.

Packing Tips

I would also suggest starting a list to keep track of everything you need to do along with any helpful links you find. I started a few lists on Evernote: To Do, To Buy, To Buy in [Place], To Pack (aka find), and Don't Pack. Cloud-based apps like Evernote and Google Docs are fantastic because you can access your list(s) from your phone on-the-go.

Clothing to pack:

Basics - underwear, bras, socks, t-shirts, long sleeve shirt, shorts, jeans/leggings, sleep clothes, swimsuit, jacket
Going out / business attire: dresses (club and business, bonus points if it can be used as both!), slacks, skirt
Workout - sports bra, shorts/spandex, t-shirts/tank tops
Seasonal

Winter: rain jacket/coat, scarves, gloves, hat, warm tights, thick socks
Summer: tank tops, light jacket/cardigan, dresses

Shoes - tennis shoes, heels/nice flats, flip flops (useful for both showering & walking), rain boots or something waterproof*
Jewelry

* Do your research to see if these items are suggested for where you're traveling

Note: Versatility is key because it saves you space. Stick to clothes that are easy to mix-and-match both for color and style (white t-shirt, black leggings, warm and fashionable scarf, etc.). Be knowledgable about cultural norms such as avoiding short skirts, low-cut shirts, bare shoulders, etc. Some places it isn't a big deal but others you could be denied entrance, so it's best to be cautious.

Key (non-clothing) packing items:

Back-up battery pack - I bought mine in Taiwan because the price was already cheaper (about $15) but if you can find one online with good reviews I would do that, especially if you'll be going somewhere where tech stuff will probably be more expensive. It's worth the extra money to have one that can charge your phone or other devices multiple times.
Lifeproof phone case - The last thing you want to deal with internationally is buying a new phone because your case didn't protect it well enough. I found my Lifeproof case on GroupOn for $35 and it has survived numerous drops and water spills. Trust me, it's worth the money if you have a smartphone.
Space bags - These save so much room in your luggage by sucking out all of the excess air! I bought two boxes (3 per box) of the "Travel Size" aka put-all-your-clothes-in size bags from Target. Make sure you buy the kind that you roll out the air rather than sucking it out via a vacuum hose.

Space Bag

Hydro Flask
Water bottle - I'm in love with my Hydro Flask! It is the best-insulated water bottle I've ever had and is also very durable. It does take up some room but having cold water with me everywhere vital!
Travel wallet - I found my travel wallet on Amazon.com and it's one of the best investments I've made. It has space for everything (passport, IDs, cash, coins, etc.). Just don't lose it!
Waterproof backpack/purse - I brought my school backpack and bought a smaller waterproof purse/backpack for my everyday items. Make sure whatever you use has a zipper to deter pickpockets.
International travel adapter with surge protector - Make sure you do your research about the place(s) you will be traveling to so you know beforehand if you'll need a converter or adaptor.

Travel Wallet

Yubi All-in-One Travel Adapter

TSA-Approved luggage locks - These will come in handy when you check your bags but also if you leave them anywhere not completely secure such as a hostel or train storage.
Luggage tag - Not only are these handy if your luggage gets lost, it's also a good way to identify your bags. Just be sure that the tag is relatively strong so it won't fall off and is water resistant.
External hard drive - If you're bringing your laptop, you'll want to back it up occasionally in case it gets stolen/broken/lost.
Chargers/Extension cord - Obviously you'll need to charge all of your electronics. An extension cord is nice to have when traveling in airports and train stations where available outlets are hard to come by.
Neck pillow - Invest in a good one of these, preferably one that has good support. Inflatable is a plus for easier packing but it is a pain to always have to blow it up and deflate it.
Towel - Preferably light-weight, quick-drying microfiber, a towel will be helpful even if one is provided for you later.
Medicine / First-Aid - Allergy medication, pain killers, sleep aid, Tums, vitamin C pills, contraceptives, bandaids, etc. You never know when you might get sick and if you do, you'll want medicine that you know and trust will work for you.
Toiletries - Pack everything your normally use (i.e. toothbrush & paste, deodorant, glasses, contacts & solution, make up, hairbrush, suntan lotion, etc.) and pack extras of everything you won't be able to get while abroad.

Do your research about the specific place(s) you're going to visit. A lot of blogs I read noted that Taiwan doesn't have a wide selection of deodorant and that tampons are hard to come by so I stocked up on both right before I left. If you're going to mainland China, you'll need to buy toilet tissues there and bring them everywhere you go because bathrooms there don't normally provide it for you.
Be savvy about space. If you aren't picky about shampoo/conditioner/body wash, buy those when you get to your end destination.

Pedometer/fitness tracker - This one isn't necessary but I love having my Fitbit to track how much more I walk when I travel.
Gifts - If you're staying with a host family, especially in Asian countries, it is customary to bring a gift. Try to bring something unique to your home state or school for a personal touch!