Must Haves in your Suitcase when Moving Overseas
You’re planning to move abroad - congratulations! Getting ready for your life overseas is an exciting time but it can also be a little overwhelming. Not sure what to take with you? Then read on…
Be sure to check out my free packing checklist that includes everything you need to remember when moving abroad!
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As Rachel Hollis from the Hollis Co. says, “Hope is not a strategy”. You can’t hope you’ll find the things you really want in your new country. Some companies will allow a pre-assignment visit or a look-see trip. Companies normally have a predetermined itinerary planned for you but make sure you take time to visit a few markets to see what you will be able to buy once you move there.
This is beneficial in two ways. One, you don’t want to bring something that takes up precious room in your suitcase to later find out you could have purchased it at your new location. Second, if there’s something you can't live without (like taco seasoning!) you’ll want to make sure you take it because you have confirmed you won’t be able to find it in your new location.
I understand not all companies will provide an initial trip before moving. If that’s the case, I’ve listed a few things below that will help guide you while packing. Also, I know extra baggage fees are expensive! Some companies will provide a moving allowance or even specifically an extra baggage allowance. Be sure you take advantage of this. If not, while costs can be high (sometimes $100 per bag) for me it’s still worth the cost to check-in a few extra bags. When we moved to Buenos Aires, we checked 10 bags total. Remember, setting up a life in a new location is difficult. If having a certain item with you helps you through the transition the $100 you paid for an extra bag is beyond worth it.
When I begin my packing list I like to create main categories and then tackle small items from there.
Clothing
This is the most obvious. Even if you can buy clothing in your new country, you’ll want to at least take some basics with you to get started. Depending on where you’re moving to you’ll also need to consider the quality of items. Sure, I could buy a shirt in Angola but the quality was not very high so I typically purchased all my clothes while on vacation. Be sure you take anything you know you wear a lot. For me, running shoes and workout clothes are important.
Want to know my secret for taking as much as possible in a suitcase? Ziploc Space bags! You know the huge ones that you can fit a whole down comforter in and then vacuum is down to the size of a shirt? Yeah, those, I fill them up, put it in my suitcase and then suck the air out so it takes on the exact form of the suitcase and there’s no space left. Just be sure you have a luggage weighing device handy. You’d be surprised how heavy clothes can be once you start fitting so much in.
Food
Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re moving overseas to experience the culture - you can eat the food there! Yes and no. Yes I want to experience everything my new home has to offer but there are days that will be hard and all you want is comfort food from back home. Now the need for this can differ depending on where you’re going. Our first assignment in Angola only had 1 western restaurant - KFC. So we had to cook anything that we craved, like BBQ ribs, fish tacos or mac ‘n cheese. When we came to Argentina, they had many more western places like McDonalds, Burger King and Hard Rock Cafe. In both locations, we still brought many things back when we went home on vacation.
The most important items when it comes to foods are spices IMO. Before both our expat assignments we went to Penzy’s Spices and stocked up. Penzy’s Spices also come in bags which makes it easy to throw them in your suitcase! Of course your new country will have spices you can buy but I’ve yet to see bold taco seasoning or chicago steak seasoning or french dip or curry seasoning. Those are the ones I’m talking about. You don’t need to bring cinnamon with you, take the ones that are unique to your family’s tastes. The ones you cook with all the time.
Because picture this - you’re two weeks into your new location and it’s been a stressful day. You don’t know the language, people are asking you to pay a bill you don’t understand, your kids are struggling to make friends, you haven’t met anyone yet and you’re stressed to the max. Now I’m not a proponent of eating your feelings but doesn’t your homemade lemon pepper chicken recipe sound perfect right about now?
Sometimes food brings us comfort on the days that are just plain hard. For a short amount of time we feel like we’re back at home and things are easier. Put the lemon pepper seasoning in your suitcase. Other items we like to bring overseas are items such as salsa or dietary items like vegan jerky, cans of jackfruit or nutritional yeast. We even put large blocks of cheddar cheese and frozen Beyond Meat in our suitcases. Really, whatever you enjoy eating is a good idea. Wow, I dedicated a lot of the article to this topic...you can tell it’s important to me!
Technology
This is a category that typically gets a lot of attention so we don’t need to go into too much detail here. But having to buy electronics overseas can be very expensive, if they even have quality options to purchase. I would say an important one to remember that isn’t obvious is a Kindle or other reading device. Books in english may be impossible to find and with a Kindle you have all the books you could ever want with an internet connection. Cell phones are also important to bring with you, especially if you can get a global SIM card. We use Google FI and it works beautifully in the US and overseas.
Finally, adaptors/convertor plugs are crucial! You will need to figure out what your new country uses and then purchase adaptors to use with your appliances. And don’t just buy 1 or 2. When we moved to both Angola and Argentina we purchased almost a gallon ziploc bag filled with them. They’re small so you’ll probably lose a few.
And you aren’t just travelling or taking a one week vacation - you’ll be living full time in your new country. You won’t want to share 1 adaptor between all your appliances. You would be running around your place changing the plug as you went from appliance to appliance. I keep one on each of the devices/appliances I use on a regular basis. For example, my hair straightener, phone charger, ipad charger, TV, computer and motorized IKEA desk all have their own adapters that stay put. Along with adaptors, a power strip with multiple outlet faces has been very convenient. We’ve used the same ones in Angola and Argentina.
Comfort
This category is not so obvious but is still important. Luckily when we moved to Angola, we took bed sheets with us because it was very difficult to find sheets that fit an american king sized bed. We also brought pillows with us - using the vacuum sealing Ziploc bags to make them super thin in our luggage. Yes, we can buy pillows overseas but we like specific pillows and sleep is not something we like to mess with. If it means the difference in getting a good night's sleep or not, we will take sleep every time. Another item I’ve really enjoyed overseas is an oil diffuser. I like to run it at night to promote better sleep and also sometimes during the day. For me, it was worth the extra space in my suitcase. This category can be whatever you need to make your new space feel comfortable - like home. I’ve known expats that took extra fluffy blankets, a few photo frames or dog beds with them.
Other essential items
This category is pretty broad for a reason. Everyone has certain things that are just important to them. For me, one example is medicines and over the counter things I’m used to from the US. I always like to have NyQuil and DayQuil with me when living overseas. I also make sure I have enough pairs of eye contacts to get me through until the next time I visit the US. Specific face creams are important to me as well. Sure, I can buy face creams and lotions here in Buenos Aires but there are specific brands that I really like to use that I bring with me. You’ll also want to consider any prescriptions you take. Try to get a 6 month to 1 year supply to take with you overseas. Especially after COVID-19, you never know how long it could be before you return back to the US.
Final Tip
Since the packing task can be quite cumbersome, I would suggest walking through each room in your home and writing down each item that you use every. single. day. These are things you’ll want to consider packing in your luggage.
I still use this trick when we’re going back to the US for a vacation. I’ll walk around by Buenos Aires apartment room by room and note what we’re about to run out of. Maybe we only have 1 can of jackfruit left or I’m almost out of my favorite face mask. I’ll make a list and when I’m home I’ll be sure to purchase everything on the list. It also helps to take the guessing work out of it when I’m standing 3,000 miles away in a Target store. A list will be your best friend.
Finally, do not concern yourself with the opinion of others. If you tell your friend (that has never lived overseas) what you’re packing, don’t worry what she thinks. She may tell you it’s ridiculous to take those items. But you know what you’ll need to make yourself more comfortable while going through this transition. I know moving overseas can be overwhelming at times but if you think methodically when packing about what you truly use everyday in each of the categories above I promise you it will be easier.
Be sure to check out my free packing checklist that includes everything you need to remember when moving abroad!
Now that you’re all packed up, be sure to read my tips on what to do when living overseas gets hard.
