The Countdown Begins….
As I begin the final countdown to leaving for London (10 days… what!?!) I’ve had to start packing up everything, as I also am moving out of my current flat at the same time. This is one of the least exciting parts of moving abroad for me, the only thing worse is unpacking. Despite being fortunate enough to travel quite a few times, I have not yet mastered the art of packing, as I either seem to bring too much or too little. In first year, when I moved up to Auckland to study, I had an entire suitcase dedicated to my shoes. So let’s just say packing for six months in one suitcase was not going to be an easy task!
The great thing about London is the shopping, so I have a great excuse of not packing everything, of course to make room for everything I’m going to bring back! I’ve made sure to pack my warmest sweaters and jackets, as I’ll be landing in London in the middle of winter, so while you’re all enjoying the beautiful kiwi summer I’ll be wearing everything I’ve brought with me in an effort to stay warm. My cousin, who currently lives in London wisely told me I’ll need a good coat, and the one I use for my Auckland winters is just not going to cut it. Which is another great excuse to go shopping in the after Christmas sales on Oxford St! I’d show you everything I’m taking, but I’m not sure a pile of my sweaters will prove rather inspirational…
I’ve made sure to bring a tote bag that I’ve folded up in my main luggage, if I need more space on my way back. I plan on travelling around the UK and Europe during the six months I’ll be studying in London, and I’m sure not every trip will require my (very large) suitcase, so it will be good to have a smaller bag for the shorter trips I’ll be taking.
Apart from my clothes, I won’t be taking much else. I’ve got a few printed photos of home that I’ve packed to help with the homesickness, but luckily the UK has some great cheap stores (see Primark), so anything I’ll need for the six months will likely be purchased cheaply there. I’ve also got a travel journal, which I will use to help document my travels, to hopefully keep me (somewhat) organised!
While packing my main luggage is always a personal struggle, I have mastered the task of my carry on. I’ll be flying straight to London with a very short stopover in Hong Kong, so I’ll be travelling close to 30 hours straight. When I do long haul flights like this, I always like to bring a change of clothes, which help me feel a lot fresher during my journey. Warm socks are always a must, as they always seem to put the plane temperature on max and my feet freeze! A sleeping mask is also great for the plane, when your (not-so) friendly neighbour decides in the middle of a great sleep they want to turn on their overhead light nice and bright! And if you’re fortunate enough to be seated next to a baby, earplugs are not a bad idea either. Otherwise, I always like to pack my iPod with some soft music to drown out any crying babies while I sleep.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and next time you hear from me, I’ll be braving the cold UK winter! (As I write this a quick Google search tells me the current temperature is a balmy 4C). See you soon London!
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