I’ll be traveling to Ireland tomorrow night to kick off this year’s European Council study abroad program there–students arrive June 14–so today is packing day! This year is my third on the program so I almost have the packing down to a routine, but of course every year is a little different. Signficant example: last summer was unusually warm (highs in the low 80s Fahrenheit) whereas temperatures this coming week are much more typically Irish (highs in the 60s). It looks like my program director persona “Dr. Laura Trenchcoat” will be at large in the Republic once again. I’m also taking along a few more books than usual since I have to write some syllabi this summer. No worries about coming in under the limit (50 pounds) but this year may not see a personal record for packing light. Here’s what I’ve got:
Suitcase and carry-on. Suitcase is 26″ x 19″ x 8″ and weighs about 6 lbs. empty. Backpack is . . . the size of a backpack?
Cross-body bag for daily carry once I get there.
Pants, long-sleeve shirts, and sweaters. I may have a little problem with stripes.
T-shirts, my WIT Vikings pullover, and the pencil skirt and leggings I plan to wear on the plane.
Exercise clothes and my travel yoga mat, which successfully passed the “But will I use it?” test last year.
Shoes!
Important odds and ends: washcloths (never provided in Europe), plug adapters (can’t have too many), mini tripod (handy), luggage scale and corkscrew (ways to make myself indispensable)
Carry-on toiletries–trying to keep it minimal but I’ll probably stick a mascara and lip gloss in there in the morning.
Electronics–this time it’s my phone that isn’t pictured because I was using it to take the pictures!
All you REALLY need is your passport and credit card. And BuJo. And €13 in change. And Duke.
Copies of my passport and credit cards ride in the suitcase to make replacement easier if anything gets lost.
Everything in except toiletries and my trench coat. As always, socks, underwear, and PJs are not pictured.
The research questions embedded in this year’s packing are:
- I’m adding a Bluetooth speaker this year because I wish I had one every year. Will it pass the “But will I use it?” test?
- I am not taking my “real” camera because I suspect it’s starting to die. Can I take 5 weeks’ worth of attractive and interesting pictures with an iPhone 6S? Here’s hoping.
- Have I brought enough warm clothes? Probably.
- And will I regret taking only sneakers? Proximate cause to buy shoes in Ireland, so no.
Shuttle to the airport at 5:00 tomorrow afternoon. Flight at 9:45, arriving in Dublin at 10:35 Tuesday morning. I’m excited!
I am going to remember your ‘But will I use it?’ question next time I travel. Most of the time, the answer will probably be no, as was the case for the yoga mat I bought specifically for my trip 3 years ago.
It’s not a foolproof question–sometimes you don’t know if you’re going to use something until after you carry it on a trip one time and either use it or don’t. But it helps separate things you might want to use from things you’re just accustomed to having around.