Shane takes Spain | Prepare to pack for abroad

The hardest part about readying myself to live in another country for a semester wasn’t the mental preparation to be away from my family and friends for three and a half months. It wasn’t getting ready to live with a stranger that doesn’t speak any English either — it was packing. I couldn’t grasp how I was supposed to fit clothes and essentials for three months and three seasons into a suitcase and a carry-on.

When I was arranging my suitcases for Spain, I read a myriad of travel blogs for packing advice, but they all seemed to repeat each other and none exactly fit my program and location. With that being said, my first piece of advice is to find someone at JMU who’s gone on the program before. They’re going to be the ones who can help more than me or any travel blogger.

Second, one should start with the basics and look up where they’ll be living. They should know the average weather and conditions for the entire span they’ll be there. It’s also wise to check weather and cultural factors in other locations that’ll be visited during the program. For instance, I traveled across Spain to Valencia where I needed a bathing suit. I also traveled to Morocco where it was swelteringly hot, but needed attire that covered my shoulders and knees — something I wish I’d thought about when I was home packing.

Whether it rains a lot in the country for the program or not, one should definitely bring an umbrella. Bringing a cheap one means it can be thrown out so it doesn’t have to take up room on the way back. As for rain boots, I’d only bring them if the location is known for rain such as London. Sneakers can always be worn in the rain.

The biggest mistake most people made in my group was not bringing their winter coat. I carried mine on the plane with me in August and didn’t regret it. Whether one is studying abroad in the fall or spring, chances are, part or most of the semester is going to be frigid enough for that puffy jacket.

As for packing for all seasons, the answer is layers. T-shirts and cardigans are easy, and jeans work in essentially all weather. I only needed three pairs of jeans and shorts, a few sweaters, about 15 shirts, one fancy outfit, pijamas, and I bought university sweatshirts there. As for shoes, a pair of sneakers, flip flops and boots will do. Remember, whatever is missing can always be bought there.

Studying abroad gives one the opportunity to travel a lot. My program traveled every weekend, and on our few off weekends, we traveled to places of our choice. With that being said, one needs to be equipped to fly without checked baggage. I recommend a small rolling suitcase as a carry-on. Those in the group who brought a bag without wheels highly regretted it when they had to run across the airport with all their bags.

As for the personal item, a school backpack that should be brought anyway for classes or a side bag such as a Longchamp works. Try to bring whichever will be used during the day on the excursion. If one is going to Barcelona, for instance, where pickpocketing is popular, leave the backpack at home.

One will also need small cosmetics and shower supplies for traveling. It makes most sense then to only pack travel-sized items that can brought on weekends and only bring items that can’t be bought there.

Keep in mind that not all hotels offer shampoo and towels. The study abroad manual says students have to bring their own towel, but that didn’t pertain to anyone in my group and we traveled with the one our host families provided. This would be something to ask a past participant of the specific program. Additionally, hand sanitizer and tissue packs are essential since many bathrooms didn’t have toilet paper or soap.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t much I needed that I didn’t bring. However, I managed to join a gym and since I went every day, I didn’t end up bringing enough workout attire. With how often my host mom did laundry, I should’ve brought five sets. I also wished I’d brought one more sweater since it got colder than I thought.

When getting ready I packed and re-packed my suitcase about five times. In the end, I found success with putting the heavier items in my carry-on since the weight matters for the checked bag. I also had luck using resealable vacuum bags to minimize the space my clothes took up. Above all, my most important piece of advice is to not stress. The things I left behind never crossed my mind once I stepped off the plane for the best months of my life. 

Shanna Kelly is a junior media arts and design and Spanish double major. Contact Shanna at breezecopy@gmail.com.