@kquin238

Packing a suitcase for a trip isn’t easy. So imagine trying to pack up your life into two bags. What stays, what goes; what will be needed living in a desert where the climate is warm and sunny all year round. Trying to still pack outfits for travel to other countries. Packing for a destination that is so unknown to yourself. It was very overwhelming. I think I repacked my bag at least 4 times! Here are some things I wish I did and hopefully some tips!

1. Paid for an extra bag, and had one bag dedicated to household items. Starting fresh in a new country is challenging on it’s own; if you can, I highly recommend packing a few house items to get you started. For example, having a bath towel to dry yourself after your first shower would be great. Having dishcloths, laundry soap and fresh pillow cases is just one less thing to think about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s easy to go out and buy all of these items, but when you’re furnishing a place from scratch all these little items (and the big items) add up! I also would have packed water bottles, coffee mugs, an extra converter and my protein powder.

2. Packed more clothes.
This one might sound silly, but I took a lot of clothes out of my suitcase to make my bag lighter, thinking I probably wouldn’t wear most of what I wanted to bring anyways. I don’t know why I thought I would be a “different” person out here, but turns out I’m still the same, still wear the same clothes, and still wish I had packed my entire closet. (We all know how much I hate outfit repeats, and it seems like I’m doing a lot of that now!) It’s so much fun shopping out here and buying new clothes, but a lot of the fashion out here is very similar to back home so I wish I brought my staple items. This still shocks me, but they wear leather and sweaters out here. I think I would sweat to death, but thankfully I snuck my leather jacket into my suitcase at the last moment. Wish me luck because I’m going to try wearing it one day!

3. Changed all my accounts to have a new verification number.
This has been extremely frustrating. This didn’t even cross my mind before leaving, but because I’m in a new country all my accounts want to be verified to make sure it’s me. Which is awesome, however, this was extremely hard to do as I disconnected my Canadian phone number the day I moved. I would recommend either keeping your number active and paying for the extra roaming fees until you’re set up, or change your verifications to a family member’s phone number so they can easily send you the pin. (This was needed for all my bank accounts, phone accounts, email accounts, and any time I tried to add my Canadian credit card to a new app)

4. Packed extras of all my favourite products.
Obviously I can go out and buy all my products here, or order them online, but I’m finding anything brand name are about double to triple the price that they are back home. My Nikes, makeup, lashes and face products are just a few. If you don’t mind finding and trying new products then you’ll be good. But if you have a specific face serum you love, stock up and bring them with you!

5. Set a Budget.
Moving to a new country is fun and exciting and you’re definitely going to splurge when first arriving! I recommend setting up a budget, with a little bit of extra for the first couple months. Depending on your job you may be paid differently, but as a teacher I didn’t get my first salary payment until the 6th week of being here. So I was living off of savings (and my credit card – shh) for the first month! This was tough because you obviously spend way more than you think when you’re just tapping a card! If you can take out local currency and have a set budget for activities this will help you in the long run! *TIP: Make sure you research setting up a bank account in the country you are moving to. I set one up and had my salary deposited directly into it, however I have no access to use my account until I have my residency visa. (Which is STILL in process). This has been challenging but will hopefully be resolved soon! It’s worth it to have extra money saved if you can, or ask for your first salary to be paid by cheque!

It’s hard adjusting to a new life and new routines. I think it’s worth noting that it’s going to take a few months to settle in anywhere new, and this is normal! Pack something that reminds you of home that you can have on the days you’re feeling homesick, and make sure you are checking in with friends and family on a regular basis to stay sane. Loneliness will come and go, but just remember the reasons why you made the move! It’s been awesome having the support of my friends and family on this journey and the positive reminders of why I’m out here. A support system will get you the farthest when moving across the world!

As always, follow along on my journey and give me a like! 🙂

@kquin238