Clothes are Packed!

I've decided to go with a medium suitcase and a carry-on. My packing philosphy is a little different this time; I'm going to be in the same dorm room for six weeks, so can afford to lug around a little more stuff. Although it's still packing relatively light (compared to some people I know), I don't have to go hard-core with the one-bag system.

Besides, the program people recommended I bring some liquids and gels that the TSA doesn't want to see in my carry on, so I have to check a bag. If I'm going to check a bag, it might as well be a bigger one.

In my 20s, I would have chosen a flight that would get me into Hangzhou as soon as possible, but this time, I decided to stay overnight in Seoul. When I get to Hangzhou, I will have to have enough wits about me to find my way to the dorm, get settled into my dorm room, AND meet all the profs and administrators. Spending a night in Seoul will let me get adjusted to the time zone and recover from the 13 hour flight.

I packed all my clothes last night. I've decided to take 10 sets of socks/underwear/t-shirts. That will get me through if I have to power through a weekend without doing laundry. I have done so many packing gimmicks: the burrito roll, the vaccuum-pack, the crumple-n-cram... This time I have plenty of room.

Here are some tips:

Clothes: Don't bring stuff you're not going to wear. Make everything match everything else. Try to do it so your laundry gets done in one load. This time, I'm not bringing any whites, so I my laundry will get done with cold water instead of hot. Yah baby, that's for the Earth.

Electronics: All of my cords and chargers are wrapped neatly and packed in zip-lock freezer bags. They all fit into one little carrying case. Laptop, PDA, and digital camera should be all I'll need for both studying and blogging from China.

Meds and toiletries: Everything goes in checked-bag. I'm putting the gels and liquids in a zip-lock freezer bag, but remember, you have to squeeze the air bubble out! If there is any air in your little shampoo, lotion, etc., that air will expand and explode in the low pressure enviromnent of the baggage hold at 30,000 feet, and that's why they're slimy and gross when you unpack them.

Books: I'm bringing a novel, some short stories, and my first year Chinese texts. That should be it!

Am I forgetting anything?