Twenty-four hours and I will be shipping off to the complete opposite side of the world. No mom, no dad, and no cell phone service. I have been up in Albany for the past three years, which is basically like being on the opposite side of the globe (right?), so not having mom or dad there to help me figure things out is nothing out of the ordinary. Not having Siri to tell me where the nearest gas station is or when to take a left-hand turn, now this is going to be interesting. Anyone that knows me can tell you that I am GLUED to my phone. Walking to class? On my phone. In class? On my phone. Sitting in the trainer's? On my phone. Sitting in bed? You guessed it, on my phone. Basically, all those articles that have been written in the past five years talking about how people of my generation don't know life without the answers at their fingertips, well I am the poster child of this campaign. With that being said I do know how to read a map, I am not afraid to ask someone questions, and due to my sheer egotistical self if I do not know where I am going I sure as hell am not going to tell you that. Needless to say, Bridget will most likely be in charge of navigating us through Europe.
So besides the whole no cell phone service debacle, I have found my self faced with another challenge any normal twenty-something year old girl would be faced with... packing. How is someone supposed to pack for not one, but two seasons, all in one 44 lbs. bag? Well friends, I am living proof that you can pack in one check-on bag and still have room for a couple birthday outfit choices (You only turn 21 once). Straight off the bat I will tell you I am not the most fashion forward, but I do like to dress nicely. I do not know how to accessorize besides my monogram necklace and a pair of pearls, so over-packing there was not an issue.Â
As for clothing I hate wearing clothes more than once before washing, so cutting out clothing was not an option for me. Leaving in March it is still "winter", but it is not like full-fledged 10 inches a night like we had been experiencing in Albany. Though I am a baby when it comes to the cold in Albany, both my boyfriend and teammates can attest to that, I still feel like I am invincible to the cold in other places. "Oh it's only going to be 45 degrees in Bamberg? Please, it didn't break 10 degrees for five days straight in Albany!", this has been my mentality while packing. While some may call this idiotic, I call it genius. Unlike everyone who is going to try shoving thickly knitted sweaters into their suitcase, I decided to pack long sleeves, long sleeves, and more long sleeves. Long sleeves are versatile in that you can wear them anytime of the year! A long sleeve shirt and jeans paired with a light sweater and scarf? Perfect for a mild winter day. Long sleeve shirt with a pair of shorts? Great for a brisk spring day. Long sleeve with an A-line skirt? Chic, yet playful. As for pants, I packed four pairs that are a staple in my closet (1 skinny blue jean, 1 olive green skinny, 1 grey chords, 1 light washed destroyed) and then two pairs of JCREW 3 inch shorts. I also packed two pairs of black leggings as they are not only SUPER comfortable, but can be worn with just about any top. Now here is the real issue that I ran into...dresses. For someone who likes to look pulled together, yet does not have the talent to figure out how to mix floral and stripes, dresses are the answer for me. Not only are they super comfortable for walking around in, but they can look cute with just about anything. Converse, sandals, wedges, an infinity scarf, statement necklace, a light cardigan, ANYTHING. Yet, being nick-named the dress girl my freshman year of college comes with a price and that price being which ones of them to bring? This part of my packing is where most would say I over-packed, but if you know you love to wear something and feel comfortable in them everyday then why not? All the dresses I packed, besides ones to wear out at night, can be worn with some type of cardigan or jacket and  not only can they be paired with outerwear, but almost all of them can be worn with tights and boots for winter.Â
Versatility is KEY. While some of you may not be a fan of dresses, bring things that are versatile and can be worn many different ways, in many different seasons. These suggestions may not work for some people, but they work perfectly for me. One thing I would say for those packing for any long period of time is to focus on the weight of your baggage. I was consistently checking how much my bag weighed, as I was packing. I told myself I wanted to be under the weight limit by about five pounds, not only for bringing things back, but just in case I misread the weights limits on the Norwegian Air website, so my bag currently weighs about 39 lbs. To top off my packing I made a few copies of my passport, credit cards, and health insurance to throw in my luggage in case something gets lost along the way (pray for me it does not). And there you go folks, packing for a five-month stay across the globe in one bag!
Tonight we are having our last family dinner together and then I am leaving from Knoxville to JFK bright and early. Then it is about an eight-hour layover in JFK and then I am off. Can't believe the day Bridget and I have been waiting for is finally here!
