A yawn escaped my mouth as I began reading yet another article on how to pack lightly for a semester abroad. It was 4 a.m. Messy islands of clothes almost completely hid my suitcases. A thousand other objects were strewn across the room. I stifled a second yawn. My flight from Mumbai to London was less than 48 hours away.

It’s slightly intimidating to pack eight months of life in two tiny bags on a 66-pound limit, especially when preparing to live in two countries with different climates. The pressure to carry enough of clothes — but also to not overpack — is much higher than it lets on.

This spring, I will be in London for a semester abroad, after which I will return back home to Bangkok for three months.

It helps a little that I’m no stranger to traveling. Being an international student from Thailand with an Indian passport, it’s second nature to me. When I was in high school, my family made it a point to visit family in India at least once a year, and we’d often travel around Asia and Thailand during holidays. After moving to Syracuse, I added a series of 20-hour flights with layovers to my yearly travels. In 2016 alone, I spent about 100 hours in flight.

Despite my experience, packing has always been a struggle for me, especially for places where I will be living for an extended period of time. As I count down the days to my flight with anticipation, my stress levels also skyrocket. I find myself despairing over how to take everything without, well, taking everything.

This time around has been no exception. I spent hours packing and repacking, trying to eliminate every single object that I once wanted to bring with me, but now realize I don’t really need.

I’ve been kept up at night by hours of paranoia over whether the airline will charge me for my overweight bags. But above all this, I increasingly found myself wondering if the two bags I’ve packed will suffice to find home in an unfamiliar city.

Perhaps what made this entire process more complicated was the vagabond-like nature of it all. I haven’t been home in five months. Last summer, I flew from Bangkok to New York, and then flew from New York to Mumbai for the Winter Break. Besides bearing the pain of not seeing my beagle for so long, I wasn’t able to go home and properly prepare for a whole new continent. Often the bearings we get from being home prepare us in the best way for the next adventure.

Of course, life doesn’t always go according to plan. One of the main things that has kept me going throughout this entire preparation process has been reflecting on why I chose to study abroad in the first place.

I chose to study in London because it is home to one of the most progressive and sophisticated media industries in the world, and the city’s rich culture and history drew me in. I’ll have the opportunity to take classes at Faraday House — the SU Abroad center in London — and take on an internship at a media company.

When I thought of all I want to do in London, I forgot all my worries.

A day later, I was almost certain I had everything I need. As I packed my last bag, I glanced at my other luggage, standing uniformly against the wall.

I zipped up a perfectly filled-up suitcase and felt a sense of calm and satisfaction. I just crossed the threshold between where I am, and where I will be. I had London on my mind.

Published on January 18, 2017 at 11:28 pm