I wanted to write a few tips for packing that help me make sure I remember everything when going on longer trips:
When packing, I start with my clothes and plan out exactly what I will wear everyday. That means I'll plan out for 12 outfits, two of which are comfortable for our traveling days on airplanes. I'll also plan one extra outfit (just in case something happens) and one nicer outfit (for Flamenco evening). Honestly, this is really good also because we're going to be busy during our stay and probably too tired in the morning to pick out what we're going to wear!
You should be asking yourself: Do I really need this? Remember you will hauling your suitcases around with you for the entire trip, do you really want a bag you can hardly carry? Although airlines will allow a 50 lb bag you should really not exceed 30 lbs. Our hotels may or may not have elevators. You may or may not be on the ground floor. PACK LIGHT! ONLY WHAT IS NECESSARY! :)
Do not plan on wearing flipflops. Flipflops are not walking shoes! Do you really want to be on a walking tour of Barcelona only to have your flipflop break (see above) and then only have one shoe for the rest of the day?
You should have one GOOD pair of walking shoes that you know will serve you well for the trip. Buying new shoes and "breaking them in" on the trip is not a good idea- sometimes even the comfiest shoe starts off giving you blisters on your heels! I wear TOMs, because they're light and match with most outfits, but you can wear sneakers or something similar as well. DON'T bring heels! Leave those at home!
Additionally, plan for all kinds of weather. Be prepared to wear layers. It might be 100 degrees outside mid-day but when you go into Prado museum, they might have the AC put at 65. You want to be comfortable. You want to be appropiate.
Lastly, remember that you are representing not only your country, but your school when abroad. You might be one of the only Americans that someone meets, you want to represent yourself and your country well. No booty shorts or tank tops! No tube tops or halters! You'll be walking on average 5-7 miles a day so make sure you're wearing something that will last.
Make sure you have a converter for Europe- if you've ever traveled to England, this is NOT the same plug. It should look like this:
For easy communicating with people back home the two apps I recommended were:
-Whatsapp: This is really great for texting back home and sending pictures when connected to wifi. It's a really good app in general and I prefer it to iPhone's iMessage system because it seems to be organized. The person you are messaging must have this app to talk with you. I think this app is $1 on the appstore.
-Viber: This app is good for making calls for free over wifi. Again, the person you're calling must have viber installed on their smartphone for it to work. Also, the quality of the call depends a lot on the speed of the wifi you're connected to, which is why sometimes I just prefer WhastApp because you know the message will get sent and you don't have to worry about interference or bad connection issues.
I know we will have a great trip! Stay posted for more tips that I might remember later. Feel free to email me with any questions you might have as well.
Follow me on Instagram @ superbehele or #madridtobarcelona2014 #señoritabeheler to see pictures that I'll post throughout the trip.
~Señorita Beheler
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