When packing for a whole year abroad; your natural instinct is to pack EVERYTHING. My suggestion is to not actually do that!

First off; always pack for the season that you are going in. If you are going in Summer; only take summer clothes. Winter? take winter clothes. I would also suggest that if you come from a country where you actually have a proper winter, to bring your winter coat as well as snow boots if you are going to be in a colder climate like on the East Coast of America or anywhere else except Cali ha! It gets REALLY cold in most of America and winter coats can be quite pricey if you don’t look properly. I will be uploading a blog on tips and tricks that you can use to save money on winter clothes.

Here are some things that you should consider packing

1. A stuffed animal or something that reminds you of home. I have a blanket my mom made me.
2. Pack some snacks from your home country that you love and know that you can’t get in America. It helps with the transition as well as just feel better about being away from home.
3. Pack a winter coat
4. You should only pack for the season you are going in.

Here are some things you should not pack:

1. Don’t overpack. Pack enough for 2 weeks or so!
2. Don’t pack more than one hoodie and 3 sweaters. You can get everything so much cheaper here in America.
3. Don’t pack too many shoes.
4. Don’t pack your hairdryer/straightener or curler. The sockets are different and most of the time you can’t use it here.
5. Don’t pack too many toiletries. You should look at what you are taking and if you can’t get certain products in America, bring those. Other than that, you should just buy everything in America as it will be cheaper and won’t weigh your bags down too much. 

You need to also remember to grab all your important documents and electronics as well as your chargers for all of them. I will be doing a blog post about what to take in your carry on as I feel like that is super important in itself. 

I hope this helps you and eases your stress when you are packing for this exciting year ahead!

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