Packing: How I Build My Suitcases

One of the joys of traveling is that I love every part of the experience. From the initial planning and researching to the moment when my head hits the pillow when I get home, there isn’t a part of traveling that I don’t savor. That includes packing for the trip! As a former over-packer, I am very meticulous about only packing what I need, so when faced with the task of packing for seven months in France, I knew I had a lot of preparing to do. How was I going to fit all my earthly belongings into two suitcases and a backpack?

Here is how I packed for a long-term stay in France, as well as the tips and advice that I am using to pack for this time around as I prepare to return to France!

*Heads-up: some of these tips are specifically about TAPIF and the language assistant experience!

1. Create a capsule wardrobe.

This was really hard for me the first time I packed for a multi-month trip because I LOVE clothes. I love getting dressed up to go nowhere, and my suitcase can often reflect that. By creating a capsule wardrobe, I was able to cut out all the excess things I would never wear (or things that I would only wear once, which is just as bad).

A capsule wardrobe is one where everything in your closet matches everything else. For example, every top matches every bottom. This means that you can throw on anything and make an outfit out of it. While I don’t have my system down that perfectly, I do try to limit the number of pieces I take that don’t really work with anything else. My general rule is that each article of clothing has to be used in at least three other outfits. For example, every top has to match with at least three bottoms. This helps cut down on taking too many ‘statement pieces’ that I would wear once and forget about, which, to me, was a waste of space.

Being able to have a set of ‘basics’ that you can make into different outfits can also be helpful. I have a black turtleneck that I wear with everything: with jeans and a sweater over it to work in a café, underneath a t-shirt dress for teaching, or with a miniskirt for going out. This way, I am making the most out of my clothes.

2. Visualize everything.

Lay out everything you think you will need: every article of clothing, every pair of shoes, every accessory. Everything. (If that’s overwhelming, you can make a list.) Seeing how much crap I wanted to bring with me made me realize that, no, I didn’t need to bring three pairs of black heels that I would probably never even wear. Being able to see everything also allowed me to see what was lacking: why did I have waaay more shirts than pants? And why did I have so many sundresses when I was going to be away for mostly winter months?

3. Go for pieces that you can use in many seasons.

I was planning to be in France from September to May (but I stayed through June because of the pandemic), and in Lyon, the weather is drastically different from one season to the next. So I knew I needed to pack a lot of things that would work well in warm and cold temperatures. Layering became very important: I had t-shirts that I would wear with a skirt in the warmer weather, and in the winter, I would add a sweater and tights.

I recommend researching what the weather is like where you’re going to be living, but also know that you won’t really know what the weather is like until you get there (temperature means nothing if other factors like rain and wind are at play, and I learned that the hard way).

4. Excel spreadsheets can be your savior.

I know that I am very much a Type A person and that spreadsheets can really scare people, but it made creating my packing list very easy. I use spreadsheets to track how many outfits I will be able to make (see capsule wardrobes in #1) and then organize everything by season (see #3). After I have decided what to bring, I list what I put in each suitcase as I put it in (just use copy/paste! So easy.)- that way, I won’t forget to pack anything and I’ll know exactly what was in each suitcase if one gets lost by the airline. This system also helps me when I’m packing everything up at the end of the year- I can never remember how I got all that crap in there in the first place, but knowing how I balanced everything out can help repack things quicker.

It may seem very ‘over the top’ to make spreadsheets just about packing your suitcase, but I found that it really helped me stay on top of how much I was bringing and kept me very organized.

5. Be realistic.

When I packed for college, I brought everything I ever owned, thinking I would need the most random clothing pieces for whatever occasion was sprung on me. Packing for France, my list was a lot shorter, but I remember what I actually wore from last year and will be leaving out the things I rarely touched.

I know how hard it is to see a dress and think, “wow, having this dress will be perfect if I have to attend a random state dinner at the President’s house!” But how many state dinners am I planning on attending?

Also, it is very likely that you will come to love the people of your city and be inspired to dress like them. Leave a little room for clothes that you’ll buy that will make you look like a local. (I found that the easiest way to fit in en France was to buy a jacket that looked like everyone else’s, so I looked at what everyone else was wearing and then found one that matched my style.)

6. Think about what you can get while you’re there.

I wish I had known that I didn’t need to bring 10,000 pairs of socks with me. I am very particular about everything when it comes to clothing, so I thought that I had to buy 20 pairs of Target-brand ankle socks or I would not be able to function in France. But guess what! Primark sells quality socks in packs for about 5€- and since I only wear black socks, that means I can use less space in my suitcase on socks and buy cheap ones when I get there.

I also think that things you need but wouldn’t mind donating at the end of your stay can be bought once you get there (like an umbrella!).

Other things I bought in France that didn’t need to take up space in my suitcase and that I wouldn’t mind donating: two winter jackets (one long and one short, both from Primark and very cheap), towels, and tights.

7. Know what limitations and fees for checked bags are BEFORE you get to the airport.

Is there anything more humiliating than having to open your meticulously packed (and yet so chaotic-looking) suitcases in front of everyone at the check-in desk who are now annoyed at you AND judging you? Is there anything worse than getting to your gate for your EasyJet flight and learning that, no, you can’t take your suitcase on the plane and having to pay 60€ to check it?

You need to look up airline requirements for suitcases, especially in foreign countries. For example, in the US, you don’t have weight limitations on cabin baggage, but I have found that lots of European countries do in fact weigh your carry-ons. I normally cram as much as possible into checked baggage because airlines in the US don’t weight it- but in Europe, that’s just not possible, and you can get charged with hefty fees.

Checking baggage and being over the weight limitations can really blow a hole in your pocket. Know how much you will be expected to pay at the airport to save yourself tears in the airport bathroom because you are broke and are going to deeply miss that 60€.

8. Don’t overstuff!

It won’t matter if you’ve Marie-Kondo’d every article of clothing you own and packed it according to color and fabric in your suitcase if your suitcases are too heavy. For me, the goal of packing is to find the balance between bringing enough stuff to last me 7+ months and not overstuffing my suitcases.

You will buy things while living abroad. It’s inevitable. Maybe it’s colder than you thought, and you need to buy warmer clothing. Maybe you want to fit in a little more in your city, so you buy a tracksuit and matching fanny pack. Maybe you will see that one vintage Hermès scarf that’s 80% off that you just cannot live without. As much as you tell yourself you aren’t going to buy things, YOU WILL, and that’s okay! But you need to leave a little room in your suitcases for future purchases.

Last year, I didn’t leave a lot of room in my suitcases, and I purchased about 10 items of clothing that I needed to find room for in my bags. I truly don’t know how I managed to pull that off.

Also, you will be schlepping all that stuff across France with you in order to get to your new home for the next seven months, and I can say from experience that dragging two suitcases across the cobblestone streets of Paris and up and down the stairs of the Métro while in a hurry to catch your train is a wrist-breaking activity. It’s just something to think about.

Now that I know how to pack…

Here is a list of all the things (mostly clothing-related) I would recommend to bring during your year as a language assistant in France:

-Comfortable, waterproof/water-resistant shoes

-A good backpack that you can use for traveling that is hard to break into

-A good backpack (any bag, really) that you can use for taking all your stuff to work

-A gray scarf (I just felt like everyone was wearing a gray scarf with a black winter coat)

-A light jacket to get you through the cold until you get a proper winter jacket

-Lots of extra underwear (if you really like one particular kind; otherwise, you can buy when you get there)- for some reason, my friends and I found that we were having to toss out a lot of pairs of underwear, and I blame it on the water!

-At least one ‘nice’ outfit: it’s likely you will get invited to a colleague’s house for the holidays, or you might wear it to an appointment somewhere. I found that having a dressier outfit came in handy more than once.

-Deodorant, and a backup: I hate the (limited) choices for deodorant in France, so I’m bringing extras this time around.

Here is a list of things you should just buy when you get there:

-An umbrella, preferably one of the small ones you can toss in your backpack

-Socks, tights, anything like that

-Gloves

-A winter coat (I got a puffer jacket and a long jacket for cheap at Primark)

-Towels (another Primark gem)

-Toiletries: French shampoo is on another level, and it’s so cheap! I also buy my skincare there since it’s better for reasonable prices.

Happy packing!