Hey everyone ! I hope you’re doing well and if you’re reading this post then I guess you are planning some form of travel international or otherwise. Yes its that time of the year again and I can’t begin to share my excitement.There are multiple videos on the internet on what to pack, how to pack , even list of things you must carry.However, what I found most baffling to see was that most of them were biased, yes ALL OF THEM only spoke about MEN, they ignored half the population on the planet.In this day and age its so surprising to see such out of touch articles that only cater to men, women are completely left out of the equation and its challenging to find anything remotely useful. Most women have to pay a lot more for basic amenities, daily utilities , popularly known as pink tax. This blog post is written specifically to address those gaps (read for the women traveller) . For sake of completion I will also include a list for men and other non-binary genders (yes! I we like to be inclusive).
What you decide to carry and what you not depend solely on price of that item in your home country vs price of that item at your destination, there are quite a few factors that you must pay attention to. Many countries in Europe have a high purchasing power parity and most of the essentials are priced high, for your reference please check this calculator to understand local pricing first. Once you have done that look at pricing in destination cities , viable shopping options and available discounts. What you should wear obviously depends on the country you’ll be studying in, and the prominent religion there. Definitely spend some time researching your destination’s cultural norms and weather forecast before deciding what to pack.You will be surprised to know that a lot of cafes and outlets provide student discounts.I will provide an exhaustive list of student friendly spots based on my personal experience.I also created some sticky notes, well the e-version of those sticky notes just as a reference. Feel free to download the entire student planner PDF available for no costs at all.
Before you even begin deciding what to pack, it’s important to find a travel bag that’s as versatile as you need it to be, while also fitting all your stuff and being easy to carry. I will link down some recommendations on luggage, again this is NOT a sponsored post feel free to opt for any type of suitcase you might find more convenient based on your height and packing requirements.You don’t want to be paying airlines excess baggage fees on a shoe string budget(a.k.a the student budget), so you’ve got to be smart about what you’ll bring, especially if shopping in your host city is expensive. You also don’t want to be the person on the street who looks ridiculous trying to lug around a massive suitcase bursting at the seams.
When packing your carry-on suitcase, you’ll first want to focus on creating a seamless airport experience and things like a travel wallet and an easily accessible toiletry pouch will help you stay organized and breeze through airport security. I always pack at least 2 days of clothing in my carry on so that even if my luggage is delayed or the airline has a problem I am not scrambling last minute in a new city. Comfy basics like cardigans, leggings, and maxi dresses are versatile enough to get you through a day or two before your luggage is returned.
A note on the weather: The Mercury pretty much stays fixed around 60-68F (15-20C), anything above 70F (21C) causes folks to take their sunscreens out and dips into 50F (10C) make people shiver in their jammies. Summer is a cold one, and Fall is terribly hot (Sep and Oct are mysteriously designated as Indian summer) with winter bringing in some rainy respite while spring is essentially a cool precursor to summer.Days are bright and warm which lead to cooler, often chillier nights. The weather not only changes swiftly in a blink of a few hours, but also varies from one micro hood to another, i.e. bright and sunny and pepped up in the Mission, chattering to the bones near the Marina and a face smacked by Karl (our fog) in Outer Richmond.
So what’s a gal to do in the face of this mounting predicament of combating this trickster weather? Three words Norcal Urban Chic , one with a light medium outerwear, light-weight cardigans, jumpers, fall jacket or blazer, key is layering as its almost fall weather all year around. SF chicas(and chicos) are perpetual layering gurus since that is a great way to pile on and peel off while transitioning through different neighborhoods notorious for their varied proclivities and microclimates.
What NOT to bring while studying abroad
Let’s tackle the most important one first. I know it might be tempting to stuff your bag with your favorite or even newly purchased summer haul pieces but hold on. Ask yourself these questions to know what type of clothing would be appropriate. Is it rural or urban? Is it liberal or conservative? Is it cold year all year round or warm or does it see all seasons? Often times the type of clothing that is available in a certain location is specifically useful for that location alone. This would be applicable to winter wear , outerwear and even casual ensembles. If you are coming from India most down jackets would not be warm enough for North American winters. If you are coming from Europe those beautiful pastels – scoops of sorbet (I know they make you happy on the inside and chic on the outside) look out of place in the city. I found almost everyone including women stick to blue, black and gray(For someone like me ,coming from India its a little disappointing and uhm ! boring but it’s ok ;). As experts state , Style in San Francisco lacks the pretension that funnels down from New York’s lifeblood (finance), though it would be naive to assume that that pretension doesn’t find a place elsewhere. In fact, in San Francisco, there seems to be more currency in appearing casual than there is in appearing affluent.
Clothing
SF culture is all about being comfortable in your skin , mostly casual and down to earth. I don’t think I have seen so much flannel and Patagonia in my life (not even exaggerating, just surprised). Based on my limited experience in SF as I like to call it “micro dosing in SF” you don’t have to worry about dressing up here. I’ve seen people go to interviews wearing denims, I’ve hardly seen people in formals unless they work in specific industries, if you’re in tech you’d hardly see anything other than sweatshirts, shorts or denim- men and women alike. A “tech bro” minimalist effortless capsule wardrobe is what I see most people go for. Again if you are studying in New York or anywhere down south you’d find women dressing up , not that they don’t look gorgeous without dressing up its just a cultural thing. Everyone has their own definition as far as personal style is concerned and you should make that decision for yourself. I would link down 12 must-haves that in my opinion are the best. Take any style recommendation with a grain of salt as you can have infinite options and we all like different things, what works for me may not work for you and vice-versa.
Makeup
Next up is makeup, I wouldn’t recommend traveling with a never ending supply of makeup as most products with an exception of few are available in the US-unless you are studying to be a MUA(Makeup Artist). You would get student discounts on almost all retail outlets here and affordable makeup is <$25. Most of these last a long time and it’s a one time purchase only.However, I would recommend you to buy foundation and concealer ,depending on your skin tone(warm, neutral, cool) it might be difficult to find your shade here in the US. Indians have a wheatish skin tone with a warm undertone, its prone to sun damage , pigmentation and de-coloration on exposure. I would recommend ULTA if you have to get these products.
Some of the student friendly brands I found are – Clinique (love that they have so many shades covering almost all skin colors), bare minerals(again lovely collection), elf(their foundation is truly full-coverage, it gives you an airbrush finish), Huda Beauty(I am sort of conflicted about them, I see people recommending it a lot but I found equivalent results in more affordable brands), Charlotte Tilbury( high-end cosmetics but they last a long time , so its more like a one time investment), Anasthesia Beverly Hills( beautiful carryon size cosmetics and their eye shadows palettes are to die for). Again I am just sharing viable options I am no one to tell you if you should or should not wear makeup, I know its a a medium of self expression for some and I just think you should do what you feel most comfortable with. If makeup makes you more confident and comfortable by all means go ahead. If you like bare natural skin that is good too, its your body you decide, you are in charge. For lipsticks there is a wide selection available and depending on your personal style you should pick. My favorite colors are NARS Dolce Vita Dusty Rose and Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk, I feel they are closest to a natural lip color , perfect for a no makeup barely there look.Hop onto my instagram(@akan_s_ha) for more 😉
Shoes
Love me some shoes, ah! who doesn’t love shoes.This is another area some of us absolutely love to splurge on, but packing can be a real pain, shoes take a LOT I mean a LOT of space. Should you pack more shoes? hell no Would you disregard my advice pack them anyway? UMMM YEAHH!. I know you can stuff toiletries even small tops and clothing inside your shoes, you can use them to store gadgets but again a small advice you can get all kinds of footwear in the US and they are dirty cheap. Just get a few pairs and I think you will be sorted. Make sure to get a comfortable walking shoe/heel if you’re in the city. If you are going to be opting for public transport make sure to either carry slip-on shoes in your bag to change or just opt for comfortable footwear on occasions you need to walk a lot.
Food
I know given the price difference and depreciating rupee it might be tempting to carry a bulk supply of food from India or other home countries with lower prices.Things that can cause trouble at customs would be anything with seeds, rice, wheat , fresh fruits and vegetables. There is a wide selection of food options here in the US, there are farmer markets in the city,I found one in Cupertino as well. You can also order groceries online on an app called Instacart, I will leave a link here so you can install the app. I will be honest , eating healthy in the US is expensive, weekly grocery costs can go as high as $50/week if you opt for organic, cruelty free, trusted brands. Indian stores have priced their products about 5-10x of what you find back home. But here is the reality, you cannot by any means carry a long term supply of food, you would have to buy here anyway so might as well plan for it. Again I would advise you to not carry oil, ghee , pickles as they are a huge travel risk, in case of a leakage or packaging rip under pressure in an airplane you might just end up with a mess in your suitcase and no one wants that.
Electronic Gadgets and Accessories
There is absolutely no reason to fill up your checkin luggage with electronic products, one they are quite inexpensive in the US, second its impractical to carry an infinite supply of power converters should you plan to use these gadgets at once. I would leave out laptops, phones, iPad/tablets, shaving kits, blow dryer, hair straighteners food processor, toaster, I think you catch my drift. Adding some of the good websites that provide student discounts and have a wide variety of products as well.
What to bring while studying abroad
Now let’s talk about the most important topic , what should we pack ? Before you start packing I want you to get a notepad and a pen or open the notes app on your phone. I think it’ll really important to pause, reflect and then decide the kind of things you would need on your trip. Visualize your life, an average starting from morning through night. Once you have done this a few times , it would become fairly intuitive for you the next time you start packing. Broader categories common to everyone would be food, clothing, essentials, accessories, footwear, outwear, bed and bath, utility items. I am not going to talk details on each of these topics as I think this is a personal preference and I am not one to tell you what to eat ? how to dress or how to accessorize? Here is what I would say, make sure to carry outfits that you think fit in these categories.
- Business casual
- Homeless Man (just kidding I mean sweats :P)
- Hooker ( still kidding, LBD, summer dresses etc)
- 8 yr old boy (comfy cozy)
- Formal Wear
- Outerwear/ Workout Clothes
Next, documentation and I cannot stress this enough. Carry multiple copies of your passport, i20, VISA , admit letter, SEVIS fee, Test Scores(GRE, GMAT, TOEFL/IELTS), Transcripts, recommendation letter or any specific exemptions that you may have received.
For food I would stress on taking some specific utensils that are hard to find and also too expensive. This would be pressure cooker, one granite finish pan, a saucepan for tea(the ones here don’t have insulated handles and terribly difficult to handle, sieve, strainer, grater, bowls , cutlery, rolling pin,. Don’t carry rice cookers , multiple pans , Kadhai(Indian wok), those are available for less. The same goes for medicines , make sure you carry the recommended amount after discussing with your doctor. I am not listing any medication since I am not a licensed physician and would be liable.Buy sunglasses, glasses, contacts in India, its hassle free and inexpensive. Most such things in the US require doctor prescription and the cost can vary to $200-300. Get about 50 passport sized photos, it costs $15 for one here in the US.Make sure you opt for a travel insurance for the interim period from the day you land to the day your school approved health insurance kicks in.
Next is stationery, get a few notebooks, pens and related items enough for the first few months in the US. Again you can get these easily in the US but its just nice to keep your expenses low in the beginning. In clothing make sure to carry enough pieces to layer, underwear-20 pairs(here in the stores its lot of synthetic poor quality fabric) , brassieres -10 pairs(hard to find organic cotton for price <$30). Get a few pairs of denim, lounge pants and formals. You can get may be one formal outfit of your choice and may be a signature piece depending on your personal style.
That’s all folks, if I missed anything please drop me a note and I’ll update. I wish you a safe and happy journey, take care.
XX, Akansha
