Hey y’all!
Guess who’s finally about to leave for Europe?? This gal!!
You guys probably can’t even imagine how crazy it has been trying to prepare for this trip. I have the opportunity to go to Italy to take classes for USF, and it’s been insane trying to get everything sorted. Well, I leave in two days so hopefully we’ve finally got it all figured out! This plan has me taking my last two classes for my degree (Woo!) and I have received a $1,000 scholarship to cover my program fees, as well as another scholarship to cover all of my books and tuition! This means I’ll be graduating in Italy in August and then coming back to Tampa to work full time in the fall.
Now, since this isn’t my first big trip, I thought I would share with you some of my tips and tricks from everything from packing to money and all the little stuff in between. Since I head out tomorrow, I’ve been running around like crazy getting all this stuff sorted the last few days.
Before I go: This time I’ve done a lot more preparation than I have for most of my other international trips. I made sure to leave with my parents a copy of my passport, address while abroad, travel insurance, and emergency contact numbers. I’ve never really done this before, but with the way things are today it can’t hurt to be too careful, and it only takes a few minutes. This time I also got a pedicure just because I plan on walking a lot and that way my toes will look cute in all the pictures I will be taking! I also bought more makeup, as I was running out of a few things, and a lot of American products can be expensive or hard to find when overseas. Finally, I’ve got all my credit and debit cards sorted and organized using Mint. This way I can just pull up one app to see where my financials are at, which will make it quick and easy and I will know just how much I can spend on all the pasta I plan on eating.
What to carry on/ Things for the plane: Since the journey might take around 24 hours to finally get to whatever destination, I always carry on with me a change of clothes, baby wipes, lotion, hand sanitizer, deodorant, a toothbrush/toothpaste and my favorite Clean & Clear Morning Burst face wash. About three quarters of the way through my flight, or sometime during my last lay over (really whenever I’m starting to feel gross) I’ll head to the bathroom and change, wash my face, brush my teeth (only use water from your bottle however, not from the sink, especially on the airplane), and spruce myself up a bit so I feel clean and refreshed to land and start my trip feeling great! Also, sanitize, sanitize, sanitize! Planes are gross and don’t get a very good cleaning often, so always sanitize before eating and give your tray table a quick wipe down too once you get settled. Another thing I always fly with is a reusable water bottle! You can bring it empty through security and refill it in the terminal, and ask your flight attendants to keep refilling it. It’s very easy to get dehydrated while flying without even noticing it, and it also helps fight jet lag. It’s also great no matter anywhere you are going (at least if it that region has clean drinking water) to carry around a refillable bottle to save money and reduce plastic waste! I also carry on with me a light jacket which I can always roll up into a pillow, as well as my books for school and medications. All of these things are great to keep on you in case your baggage gets lost (which, cross your fingers, has never happened to me!) Finally, always remember to download music, tv shows, movies, or podcasts before your flight! I once spent an entire four hour flight listening to the U2 album that they snuck onto everyone’s Iphone’s because I forgot to download stuff before I left.
Some other things I do when traveling: If going on a long term trip, I generally bring enough of my own shampoo and conditioner to get me settled for a week or two, and then when this runs out I should know by then where to go and buy more. For this trip, our apartments should be fully furnished and complete with linens, but I’m bringing my own pillow case just in case. I can also bring it with my when staying in hostels while away from Florence or on the plane. I’ve also got a little lock, not for my luggage, but to keep my stuff safe when staying in hostels or if I have the opportunity to leave my stuff at a bus or train station while doing some exploring. You can never go wrong with comfortable walking shoes (chacos and target-knockoff Keds), a cute raincoat, and a hat. I’m also super weird about the kind of floss I use, and this is the one thing I always bring way too much of. I plan on leaving my straightener and blow dryer at home, as these take up a ton of space, and I always get so paranoid about using adaptors and convertors for heat styling products, as the ones I have here are my favorite! Instead, once we are settled, my friend/roommate and I plan on going in halfsies to buy these products when we get there. That way we won’t have to worry about converting the energy and ruining them, or added weight in our suitcases. I will also, unashamedly, be bringing Clownie, my stuffed doll I’ve had since I was little. This guy has been all over the world with me, and I don’t even care, it’s always nice to have a little piece of home wherever you go.
Clothes: This time I’m bringing plenty of cute dresses and jumpsuits, as this trip will be a lot more in the city and walking around, and a lot less hiking in the wilderness like some of my other trips. I’m only bringing one or two pairs of jeans as it is really hot right now in Italy, and most Italians dress very proper day to day. To make sure I won’t be dressing too casual out and about, I’m only bringing three t-shirts which are only to sleep in, and to make sure of this I only brought long sleeves so that I will be too hot and miserable to where them anywhere but to bed!
Finally, the most important thing to bring on any trip is a sense of adventure and an open mind! No matter how much you plan and prepare not everything will go smoothly every time, but as long as you are flexible and open minded, you can turn anything into an adventure! Travel is all about the experiences you have, the people you meet, and the lessons learned, so don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path, plan a little less, or say yes to things you normally wouldn’t! You never know where it might lead…
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