Tag Archives: packing

What’s in my suitcase?

By the time you read this, I’ll be back in Canada. I’ll be in Montreal for a little bit, and then moving east to complete a residency for a master’s program in Nova Scotia. Then it’s back to Latin America after that. I’m very excited to share photos and adventures with all of you from sunny and hot Montreal and what I hope will be a pleasant and cool Atlantic Canada. At the end of the northern summer, I’ll be back to posting about Chile as the southern hemisphere heads into spring.

As I was packing last week, I had to be sure to bring things I’ll need for multiple destinations in multiple climates. After years of travels to various European and Latin American countries and all over North America, there are a few things I just do not feel right leaving home without on a trip. As for everything else I might toss in the suitcase on a last-minute packing frenzy: well, you can usually get by without it until you return!

I often see people asking on travel boards, “What do I bring with me to _insert South American country here_? I don’t claim to be the pro at what to pack for a visit to every country in South America, but there are a few things I make sure to take with me no matter where I go in the world. These items have at times proven to be a lifesaver during my travels in this continent.

My must-pack items:

  • A bottle or two of water (in the packed luggage, of course): Nothing dries you out more than spending a night on a plane, and when I arrive, dizzy from no sleep and jet lagged, the first thing I want is clean, drinkable water. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a bottle of water first thing in a new place, which is why I pack it. (Wandering around Paris for hours on the first day – not finding a single bottle of water because nothing was open, it was a holiday – taught me the importance of this!)
  • A common painkiller (Motrin, Tylenol, etc.), something for an upset stomach, and a few mints: You never know when a 10 hour flight will lead to a brutal backache or headache, and all of those unfamiliar restaurant meals could lead to an upset stomach. You might be tempted to take a medicine cabinet full of medications just in case, but other than your prescriptions, these common meds are the most handy. Mints are great to have because they can really help an upset stomach, ease nausea from a bumpy landing, or cut bad breath, of course!
  • A pack of facial tissue/Kleenex. Why, you ask? Well, in some countries, let’s just say that toilet paper is less… necessary… than in others. In about 10% of the bathrooms I’ve visited in Latin America, toilet paper is not available (or available for a small fee: imagine if, of all times, that’s when you don’t have correct change)! Combat the problem by always keeping some sort of tissue on hand.
  • Antibacterial gel: if some bathrooms don’t have toilet paper, as I am sure you can imagine, soap isn’t really always a priority, either.
  • Clothes: goes without saying, right? One thing I always do is pack an extra outfit or two in my carry on. Overseas and long-haul flights can be, well, long, especially if you’re delayed. And I always think of that Will & Grace episode when Grace’s boyfriend played by Harry Connick Jr. gets orange juice spilled on him in the first leg of his flight and has to endure several more long hauls with an orange juice saturated shirt! Also worth mentioning: not all airports have heat or air conditioning and the climate (or climate control) you leave may not be the climate you arrive to. I’ll always remember how I left a 90 degree F (35 C) New York City in a thin jersey sleeveless shirt last summer and arrived in a 40 degree F (5 C) Santiago airport… with no working heater. I was frozen.
  • Passport: I always check and make sure I have this about a million times before I get to the airport. Check to make sure you are familiar with any visa requirements or customs restrictions in your destination country before you leave home.
  • “iDevice”: Does anyone really leave home without these anymore? Camera, phone, games, documents, personal organizer, Internet, all in one place. Enough said.
  • Oh, and don’t leave home without patience, excitement, and more patience. It also helps to be well rested beforehand!

If you have the space:

  • Small gifts from your hometown to give to people. This especially goes over well if you are visiting a country where you might need to depend on the assistance and kindness of locals vs. tour offices and help kiosks (here in Antofagasta, for example). Not everyone who lives and works in these areas has the chance to travel often (if ever) and you will make their day if you give them a small gift (keychain, baseball cap, trinket, even just a postcard!) from your hometown to thank them for their generosity. It may seem simple to you but it really can make all of the difference with your new friends. For example, items with American sports team logos seem especially desirable in Chile, and I have several requests to fulfill when I get back to Canada to send postcards and photos to people I met in Argentina.
  • If you’re going to stay somewhere for a while, it’s nice to bring a familiar shampoo, shower gel or soap, and lotion to use. Don’t count on being able to get familiar brands overseas.
  • Same goes for all other personal care items.
  • Hotels, even the fanciest ones, in most countries outside of North America do not seem to supply washcloths/face cloths. Bring your own, or a shower puff.

Don’t forget to bring back souvenirs from your destination to friends and family back home! Since some of these must-pack items get used up over the course of your stay, you’ll have plenty of room for the trip back.

Do you have any “must not leave home without” items that you make sure to pack every time on a trip? What is the thing you most regret leaving at home?

The Night Before

So, tomorrow afternoon my husband and I head out of YUL (that’s Montreal, for you non-airport geeks), on our way to Miami (aka MIA) where connect to our overnight flight (10 hours) that will take us to SCL (Santiago). We will arrive at our final destination airport (ANF) in northern Chile on Sunday night.

Although I am tired and overwhelmed and the last thing I feel like doing is analyzing my feelings on the matter, I told myself that if this blogging thing is going to work I am going to have to plant myself in front of the computer and spill. This is the eve of my great voyage, so my vast readership (aka the WordPress bot that waltzes through here once or twice a week) will be eager to know what is running through my head! What did I pack? What am I feeling? What’s it like leaving home for 17 months?

The docks in Antofagasta, Chile

My feeling tonight is a little like the night before the first day of school. Nerves, a sense of unease, nostalgia for what has just passed, yearning to stay in the normal and familiar surroundings and yet also an eagerness to take on the unknown and dive into new challenges headfirst.

An even greater comparison to this moment is that night a little over 9 years ago before I went off to university for the first time. I had chosen to go to a school nearly 1,000 miles from home in a different country. Going from a quiet life in the American Midwest to the relative unknown of a different city, country and culture – McGill University in Montreal – was quite a leap. It was, when you get right down to it, quite a terrifying task to take on. I wish I had a blog to look back on and read about that night when I really left home for the very first time.

Tonight it is much different. I am not leaving my parents or family behind (I have already done that) nor am I leaving my hometown behind (ditto). It is bittersweet saying adieuto Montreal for a while, which has become home. I will even miss Canada quite a lot. It’s my adopted country and I am very fond of it.

The city of Antofagasta

However, this time I am leaving on an adventure that is (probably not) permanent. In a little over a year and a half, my husband and I will be back, hopefully with many great memories and stories to share for the rest of our lives. That also brings me to my second point: I’m not embarking on this adventure alone.

I also am not leaving without a sense of knowing and understanding what it’s like trying to take on life in a new country. It is very difficult when you do not understand the language, attitudes, local customs or culture. My experiences in Quebec and other travels abroad have taught me all about those challenges. In some ways, knowing how hard it is to face some obstacles inherent to being new to a country is a burden, but in other ways it gives me a sense of ease because I know I have done it before and can do it again. It’s making an unfamiliar situation strangely more “familiar.”

Packing has been more stressful than anticipated. It’s a bit like picking out that outfit for the first day of school and packing up your backpack. You don’t want to go overboard, yet you want it all to fall in place and be comfortable and include everything that you need for the day.

View of the Atlantic from YUL - MIA flight

I am a bit of a shopaholic and love clothes, so picking out what I’d want to wear for the next year or so was a bit daunting. In three average sized suitcases, however, I think I managed to fit everything I wanted and then some. The “then some” includes some comforts of home (a blanket, some sheer curtain panels, both picked up at Target this past spring in the U.S.; a few votive candle holders from Ikea, a small vintage flower vase that was one of many that decorated the tables of my wedding reception last summer, two picture frames and a handful of photos). I also love electronics so my laptop, iPad, iPhone and Kindle were musts. With them, I almost feel at home anywhere.

The truly spectacular feat of packing was that I managed to get all that I needed for 3 long flights and 23 hours of traveling into one small laptop bag so that I can also carry on a violin. I also managed to squeeze in my art supplies into my luggage. So I can continue to do what I love, even on the other side of the continent.

Oh, and my U.S. passport, Canadian PR card, and husband, of course. Check.

It’s so strange to think that my next blog post will be coming to you from Chile. (Or an airport, depending on Internet availability.) See you on the other side! Adios