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I will never be a light packer. While some pro travelers might be able to throw everything they’ll need for four months into a small suitcase, sling a backpack over their shoulders, and call it a day, I cannot bear the thought of leaving home things I might possibly need. It was like pulling teeth trying to choose between shoes and sweaters and nail polishes, but my high maintenance self finally managed to fit everything into two suitcases (weighing 47 and 45 pounds, yikes), a weekender, and a purse.

All My Luggage, All in a Row

Not looking forward to carrying all this from the airport to my apartment.

I’ll spare you the details of every single thing I packed, and instead try to offer some advice to anyone also attempting to pack for a trip.

My first tidbit of advice is to buy packing cubes. Mine are eBags and you can get them on Amazon. My brother had a few sets left over from his trip to Japan, but I was skeptical at first – how useful could fabric cubes really be? I can assure you, however, that they make sorting clothing much easier. A bag for bottoms, a bag for tops – you get the idea. It also made editing down my wardrobe easier when I realized I was over the weight limit; instead of digging through piles of garments, I went category by category. 

Packing Cubes - A travel must have in my book.

Packing Cubes – A travel must have in my book.

I’d also recommend investing in a luggage scale. You can find these online or at places like TJ Maxx or Marshall’s for decent prices, and they come in handy when you’re trying to decide if you really have room for another pair of black jeans (I did not). I know it will be useful at the end of the semester as well, after I’ve taken advantage of all the shopping in Edinburgh and need to figure out how to get it all back to the States. They don’t take up much room, but can save you tons of money in overweight baggage fees at the airport. My biggest problem with packing wasn’t space, but weight. Since I’ll be in Edinburgh in autumn/winter, I’ll need a fair amount of cold weather clothing, which is quite heavy (I’m bringing black riding boots and Hunter rain boots, which are bulky and weighty). Definitely keep this in mind when selecting what to bring!

Speaking of TJ Maxx (or TK Maxx, as I’ve heard they’re called in the UK), they have a great selection of luggage and handbags. I got the purple suitcase and the black leather purse there and they were very reasonably priced. If you need a new suitcase (or purse, or workout top, or tweezers, as I did), I’d highly recommend stopping there first. 

Carryon Essentials

Some carryon essentials.

Other than those tips, the most useful piece of advice I have for soon-to-be travelers is to make lists for everything. If you’re studying abroad, it’s likely that your program advisor will have sent out a suggested packing list. If that’s not the case, packing lists and articles (much more in depth than mine) are easy to find online. I’ve pinned a few of them to this Pinterest board as a reference. It’s nice having a reference against which you can gauge what you’re bringing.

Only a day left until departure! I can’t wait to share updates when I’m actually in Edinburgh, rather than sitting in my bedroom dreaming about it.