Many of us have fallen under the trap of packing last-minute before a trip. However, there are a few things you need to consider before you start grabbing your travel sized shampoo and conditioner….

1. Research into where you are going.

That’s right. Before you even think about beginning to pack your clothes into your complimentary luggage (or carry on baggage), you need to consider the following:

• Where am I going? (you did book a flight right?)
• What will the season be like while traveling?
• Do they speak a different language? (Klingon might be a thing there)
• Do I need money? and if so, do I need to exchange said money?
• Will I find true love?

All of these are important questions!

1a. Check your flight and hotel booking information

Check your flight itinerary and make sure that you have a copy of your ticket in your email, in your apple wallet (if you have an iPhone), printed on paper (just in case), and save a screenshot in your photos as well.

At times, downloading the app also helps so that you keep up to date with any updates on your flights.

You can always check in online if you are only taking carry on baggage (for us poor college students, this is typically our only option).

If you are gifted with one or two free baggage, you can always get your ticket at the gate when dropping off your luggage.

Secondly, check in with your hotel and make sure you check out the amenities they provide. Some of the amenities we love: free breakfast (yay), free wi-fi (needed!), pool (!!), complimentary pick up, a fridge, a tv, and a microwave. Make sure to call ahead of time to confirm you have a reserved room, there is nothing more sad than reaching your destination and realizing you had booked a room on the wrong day!

1b. Research, research, research (did I mention this earlier?

Check in with monetary necessities: what this means is looking into the country’s currency and how much money you will need on the trip. Look into how much it will cost to exchange your money to the country’s currency. Also, always plan to have a back up with your money. You can carry cash, have a debit card, a credit card, gold coins – but always have a back up.

Look into popular restaurants and local spots you would like to visit: try to look into a free walking tour (this is a nice small introduction into your destination’s history as well as getting a few suggestions on where to visit next), try to look into special deals for certain museum’s throughout your time there, and take advantage of TripAdvisor & yelp reviews to help with your restaurant search.

Try to learn a few words or phrases to help you get around: Apps such as Dualingo or a free playlist from Spotify can help you with learning the required language you need!

Look into the weather! There is nothing worse than reaching your destination and not being prepared for a really hot day, a snowy day, or even a rainy day. Plan for a variety of unexpected surprises.

2. Now that you know your basic information, pack!

Here are a few essentials:

• pants/jeans/shorts: these are to be used throughout the day depending on the weather
• shirts & blouses
• work out clothes: there is something refreshing about working out in a foreign country
• undergarments (pack extra, you can never have enough)
• socks (a variety of sorts)
• pajamas
• swimsuit
• one big towel, one small towel
• bath essentials (toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, etc.)
• poncho or umbrella or rain jacket
• walking shoes, running shoes, sandals, nice shoes (for nice events)
• dresses
• camera
• reusable water bottle
• sweater & jacket
• gloves
• beanie
• scarf
• a small blanket
• beach towel
• phone, phone charger, adapter if necessary
• a notebook: to keep hold of memories
• backpack
• sunscreen

Please add more in the comment section if I am missing anything!

3. You are ready to go!! Enjoy your trip 🙂

 

If you’re curious… I have a trip of my own coming up…

For my spring break, I have signed up to study abroad in Costa Rica. So, if you are in search for a blog to help you prepare for this destined location, look no further! This post is also a small reflection of the expectations I have for my trip to Costa Rica.

Research into Costa Rica:

Where is Costa Rica located?

Costa Rica is a country located in central america and what seems to be lodged between North America and South America. A map is shown below:

What will the season by like?

 

This post is written in the beginning of March, so if you are reading this and are planning to go at a different time, you might want to do your own google search when it comes to the weather. With that being said, a simple google search led me to the following Weather Channel forecast:

From the looks of it, it looks like it going to be partly cloudy but with temperatures in the high 80’s & plenty of fun in the sun!!

Oh yeah!! 

What are my expectations for this trip?

I always plan to travel to a new destination outside of the U.S. every summer break. Surprisingly, I have always traveled to places such as Canada, Europe and even Africa, but never have I ever traveled to a location in South America.

I speak Spanish already, so I know that language will not be a problem. However, I know that not all words have the same meaning, even within the same language, so I am intrigued and excited to see if my fellow Costa Rica friends have accents or new slang terms I have never heard of before. Another expectation of mine that I look forward towards is the food; I am assuming that it might be similar to the food I grew up eating, but sometimes every country have different spices that they cook with.

Another expectation I am looking towards is getting to share this experience with my fellow classmates. I am so excited to see everybody’s reactions and impressions of being in a new country and asking about what they have learned while on the trip.

Stay tuned for more!

Clouds is off to bed!