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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WVU chapter.

Prior to this summer, I had never left the country, so when I was given the opportunity to spend a month studying in Italy, I had to take it.  I had no idea where to even begin when it came to packing for a 4-week long trip. It was extremely intimidating, which caused me to procrastinate until the last minute.  I’m here to tell you that there’s no need to procrastinate! Here are a few tips to help you jumpstart your packing.

  1. Packing Squares: Packing squares will be your best friend when packing for a long trip.  When you’re gone for a long period of time, moving between airports and hotel rooms your suitcase will tend to get a little messy.  Section your clothing into packing squares so they are easy to find. For example, put workout clothes in one, dresses in another, pants in another, etc.  This makes it super easy to find what you’re looking for without messing up your suitcase.

  2. Small items in small spaces: Tuck all your small items, like socks, underwear, bralettes and swimsuits into your boots and shoes.  This will ensure that your small items aren’t out-n-about in your suitcase and aren’t taking up any unnecessary room.  

  3. Toiletries:  You may think that you need to bring big bottles of everything because you will be gone for such a long time, but that’s not the case.  Bring small portions of things that you can buy anywhere, like toothpaste, body wash and lotion, or leave it at home altogether. These are things that you can purchase when you get to your destination.  Without all those big bottles you have room for another pair of shoes or an extra outfit.  

  4. Only one suitcase:  Lugging more bags than you can carry through a foreign country is totally uncomfortable and impractical.  Only bring one suitcase, a duffel and a small backpack. You don’t need as much stuff as you think! If you bring more than you need, you’ll end up wearing only half of the stuff you brought and carrying way more than is possible.  

  5. Be practical:  You don’t need as much as you think you need, so be realistic.  Bring your necessities and leave the things that you can buy at your destination.  Don’t bring more than one suitcase because you won’t be able to carry it all and you can always re-wear outfits.

Kasey Lettrich is a journalism student at West Virginia University. She's minoring in fashion merchandising and strategic social media. Kasey was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she fell in love with writing and fashion. Kasey is passionate about fashion, reading, writing, activism and some strong indie music.
Rachel is a graduate student at WVU majoring in journalism with minors in Appalachian studies, history and political science. In addition to writing for Her Campus, she is also a publicity intern for Arts and Entertainment and a news intern for Univerisity Relations. She is from Princeton, West Virginia and loves her state and its beautiful mountains. She is passionate about many things including dogs, musicals and the Mountaineers.