Take it from the Experienced Travelers: Travel Light
Essentials In Your Carry-On:
- Passport (with Visa, if necessary)
- Secondary ID (Driver's License)
- Boarding Passes
- Airline Tickets (some countries still use PAPER TICKETS and you won't be able to board without them)
- Travel Itinerary
- Contact name, number, and address of where you are heading (in both English and the host language)
- Insurance Card
- Phone plus Charger/Adapter
- One complete light change of clothes (in case your luggage is late getting to you)
- Reading material
- Earplugs/noise blocking earphones
- Eye mask
- Compact pillow
- Any necessary medications
- Any necessary toiletries to freshen up at the airport(s)
- Pocket pack of Kleenex
Essentials In Your Luggage:
- Copy of your birth certificate (Useful when having to replace a lost or stolen passport)
- For PAPER TICKETS: Pack a copy of all pages in your luggage. Paper airline tickets are very valuable to thieves and they can be difficult (and expensive) to replace, but having copies will help.
- Copy of your passport (and visa, if necessary) Like above, copies really help if you have to replace a lost or stolen passport.
- Clothing
- Small, inexpensive gifts from Rhodes, Memphis, or your home town to give to special friends/host family at your host site. Examples: magnets, area-specific food items, key chains, etc.
Packing Tips:
- Only take what you can carry, by yourself, in one trip for one block and up a flight of stairs. There may not be anyone to help you carry your belongings, so be a self-sufficient traveler and only bring what you can take care of on your own.
- Plan your clothing in layers, keeping to pieces that work well with each other in multiple combinations.
- Pack with your host culture in mind. In Europe, for instance, your classmates will be better dressed than you're used to seeing in the States. Be aware of societal norms for men's and women's clothing and be respectful of them.
- Do not take anything on your trip that you would be devastated to lose.