For the first time travelers to US..- tips on what to take along ?

 In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Happy Wanderer.”

 

Moving abroad? Lot of things to do… Where to start from ? What to take ? Hmmmm..confusion ..this was my situation 8 months back when I was about to relocate to US. I was suppose to travel alone with my daughter as my hubby moved to US 2 months before us. I was excited about my travel as well as nervous about it too. Dint know from where to start.. Finally made all the arrangements with mistakes here n there n reached US.  This post is all about packing … What to take along with you during relocation. I tried my best to include most of items based on my experience . I followed this method n was quite happy with it.. So hoping that this may be helpful for your reference for a hassle free travel .

PLANNING..

•  As soon as your city to stay is decided , do your research on that place. Research on schools,communities ,cost of living etc. this way you get a vague idea about it.
  
• If you know any known persons from that city ,stay in touch with them n gather information about your place.
• Search for apartment in the area with good schools around. There are many apartment sites available onlookers  which shows videos n photos of apartment . Choose the options based on your budget n shortlist them.

DRAFT…

•  Make a draft of all the necessary items required to buy by creating categories.  In this way you ll  get a clear picture of what you are planning to buy , what is important, what can be ignored.
• Dividing them into categories makes our future tasks easier for reference to cross check or to add new item.
•  Plan about your budget for the shopping list and start the shopping accordingly.

 

SHOPPING…

•       SUITCASES : I suggest you to buy suitcases like VIP MAJESTIC OR VIP ECLIPSE Etc. As they are light weight and easy to handle. Before buying them please cross check the  baggage weight allowance information on the airlines site n buy according to the standards.  I suggest you to buy them from military canteen or wholesale shops as cost is lesser compared to MRP.

 

•          BAGS : Invest in good backpacks if you are taking it as cabin luggage. If you have a baby travelling along with you then buy a diaper bag with many compartments n a small handbag  to keep your money tickets passports etc with you. 

 

•         KITCHEN:   Basic items required are US. Compatible mixie, cookers, frying pan,  non stick pans, spoons, glasses , cups, plates, microwave safe bowls,chopping board, chapathi board,belan,idli stand, dal smasher,colander, scrapper,spice box, tea strainer,oil tumbler.etc. INDIAN type utensils are costly here so get the basic traditional utensils required. Get extra gaskets n whistles of cooker as they are very costly.

 

•      GROCERIES : Most of the Indian groceries you get it in INDIAN stores here but are little costly. According to my experience get the basic grocery stuff sufficient for the initial 2 months settling period. Stuff like dal,spices,powders,garamasalas,pappads,pickles,rawas, tea powder,ghee, ginger garlic paste,tamarind ,saffron ,breakfast essentials etc. Make sure to pack them in transparent sealed covers these are usually done in pickles shop, n write the ingredient name on it for easy identification. If you have kid along with you take their respective food items like gerber ,pediasure etc.

 

• TOILETRIES :   Consider items sufficient for next two months.. Basic stuff like comb,powder,creams, lotions, scrubs, soaps,shampoos,toothpaste,toothbrush,body wash,sunscreen,conditioners,beauty products, utensil cleaner,scrubber,soap box ,tumbler !shaving set etc. Carry shampoos in sachets form so that they get easily fit in the suitcase.

 

• ACCESORIES :  Safety pins, bindis , rubber bands,clips, Hairbands, bracelets, clutches etc.   I suggest to carry artificial jewellry of bangles , earrings, n small chains instead of gold. They are easy to carry n tension free if misplaced. Carry a jewellery organizer which comes in the form of purse for easy sorting of  all accessories.

 

• CLOTHING: Donot invest more in clothing as style differs from country to country. So invest in basic stuff like inners,undergarments, as they are are very costly here.  If you are going to stay in cold place invest in quality winter clothing like thermals,socks,caps,etc. I suggest not to buy Winterjackets as they are heavier n occupy most of your luggage space as well as few donot support these freezing temperatures. You can buy them in US as you have lots of options for them. Donot buy statement TShirts as they are mostly avoided in US.  Keep in mind the colors of your clothing as people donot prefer much of colorful clothing here. As INDIAN clothes get shrieked in the washer/dryer here make sure u get a bigger size of clothing . Others  like   pants, formal clothing ,jeans  ,casual clothes are a must. Get few ethnic wear  clothing as you need them here for sure during traditional getogethers. Apart from clothing few towels ,hand towels, n set of bedsheet ,kerchiefs, scarfs etc are important.  Donot invest much on bedsheets as Indian bedsheets Donot fit the U.S. Beds properly so carrying 1 for time being is ok.

 

• POOJA ITEMS:  God photos, kunkuma ,haldi, gandam, the Arathi thali, agarbathi stand, agarbathis , karpoorams, silver artificial flowers(Optional), Deeyas, pit amber, Sabina, kunkum haldi organizer, cotton etc. While carrying any silver items with less value make sure you have its recipt along with you.  POOJA items are very costly here so Donot forget anything important.

 

• MEDICINES: all the basic INDIAN medicines for cold ,caugh, fever, motion, vomitings, acidity , body pain , zandubalm, ointments,  cotton,bandage ,thermometer,allergy related, kids specific medicines  along with their prescriptions should be sorted  in ziplock bags.immunization must be uptodate for the kids n its reports are to be carried. All the other doctor checkups must be uptodate with respective reports. Eye check uptodate with extra pair of glasses /lenses with its prescription.

 

• STATIONARY :  pens ,staplers, gum, cello tapes,scale,pencils , scribbling pads etc are enough.
• MISCELLENEOUS : CDs,photos,Chargers,books,etc.

ARRANGEMENT :

Suitcase:-

Now as almost all your shoppings are done half of the work is over, but arranging them properly in suitcase is also an art.  What I followed while arranging it is a follows :

• Each suitcase must contain all types of items  Donot put all clothes in one suitcase n all other utilities in other one as lots of weight n space gets wasted.
• If you have two big suitcases to carry , first segregate each item into two parts.

         Eg : if you are carrying 10 formal shirts , divide them into 2 sets of five each,  arrange one set in one suitcase n other in another.

•       In this way all items will be there in two suitcases, in case of worst scenario your suitcase gets misplaced you can still have basic necessary items for survival until it’s found.
• Wrap all the delicate items in the bubble wrap .
• Place your mixie in bubble wrap n place them in your clothes area for its safety.
• Place heavier items first n later can arrange other items accordingly depending upon space.
• Toothpastes must be placed in containers or other big items as they may get spilled at times.
• Spices too segregate them n arrange them in two suitcases .. Make sure there are no sharp objects while arranging liquids like ghee or pickles.
• While arranging keep checking the weight of the suitcase with spring balance and adjust it accordingly .
• Arrange these shampoo sachets , small items in the corners of the suitcase .
• If you are carrying any photo frames or delicate items arrange them in clothes area.
• Set of Xerox copied of your certificates, few passport size photos.
• For utilities like kitchen utensils , Keep one inside the other this way you can save space.
• keep a 1 kg each items which are not important n can forgo them in last minute in cover n place them in suitcase . This is for worst case scenario , if your baggage wt is heavier during check in the airport you can simple remove this cover .

 Diaper bag :-

• Arrange few kids clothes, bips, food,water, milk ( airline specific),toys , diapers, kerchiefs, snaks, books, wipes, few important medicines etc.

Handbag:-

•  Passports, cash, checkin documents, boarding documents, money, pen, paper etc.

Backpack:-

• All  original certificates, important documents, laptop,phone, pair of clothes ,towel etc.

Lastly…

1. Once you are done with packing n weight check,  tag your luggage  with a name tag, tie a ribbon or any thing for easy identification.
2. Keep a set of Xerox of your certificates passport n other important document at home for reference 

 I think I covered most of the items required for travelling.  Comment back if I missed any point , or item.  Il update them in the post,  , my next post to write is all about tflight travel n kids management  in flight .. So  stay tuned until I write.. Till then keep packing 😜..