In just 9 days, I leave for South Korea to spend the summer with my husband. I couldn’t possibly be more excited!!! In our first year of marriage, we have spent more time appart than we have together! But God is good, and he has given us the grace to get through it and He has strengthened our marriage despite the distance we spend appart.
True to my nature, I already have my bag packed. In fact, I have had it nearly packed for almost a month. It’s a little sad. And yes, I did say bag, singular. I am taking one bag, and one backpack for three months. If you think I’m crazy, you’d be surprised how many people would say I’m packing too much! But if you’re going anywhere over the summer and you’re struggling with I-can’t-close-my-suitcase itis, then here are a few tips to help you zip it shut and still get through your trip with everything you need!
1. ROLL! – There is no need to neatly fold all of your clothes, it actually take up more room!
2. Plastic Bag it – If you have an item of clothing that is really awkward (bathing suits… weird.) then roll it up and stuff it into a quart sized ziplock. Squeeze all the air out as best you can, and you’re good to go!
3. Cut back on shoes – think about what you’ll really wear the most often, not what shoes you need for each outfit. I am always tempted to bring more shoes than I need, but I find that I only wear maybe two or three pairs of shoes the majority of the time. I am bringing a pair of running shoes, slip on walking shoes, flip flops, and dress shoes for three months. The only reason I have the extra slip ons is because they are terribly convenient for airport security!
4. Use all of your space wisely – stuff things wherever you can! Use the insides of your shoes for socks, and if you have extra room in your toiletries bag.
5. Do you REALLY need that? – Ask yourself if you’ll reeeeally be able to wear fifteen outfits on a trip that’s only seven days long. I know you think you have an excuse for bringing it, what if you need it? First of all, odds are you probably won’t need it. You aren’t going to need three dresses – just bring one and wear it again if you have to. You aren’t going to need five pairs of pants – two will be fine, just switch them out every other day.
6. Leave behind big, bulky accessories. You can do without your straightener and hair dryer for a few days. If you’re staying in a hotel, they will have a hair dryer. If you’re staying with friends or family, they’ll have one. If you’re in a foreign country, it won’t work in the outlet anyway.
7. Layer! Bring a scarf and a cool necklace and you just turned one outfit into two. Voila. No, this is not more room for another outfit! Put it back.
8. Take a chance and buy toiletries when you get there. Shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, and soap can be bought pretty much anywhere in the world. Every country gets bathing. So don’t waste space packing them!
Okay, that’s all I can think of for now!
This is a really useful site if you still need help: http://www.onebag.com/
The Airman's Wife 