24 Hours Before Milan Blurb

I’m currently sitting in the waiting area of my flight to Milan, sipping an overpriced iced coffee, reflecting on the past 24 hours leading up to this moment. There are a lot of conflicting feelings going on right now. I’m in a dissociative state, partially because I'm running on an hour of sleep but also because the reality of this trip is sinking in. Like what do you mean I’ll be in Milan in 24 hours?? This isn’t just a silly trip I've been telling people about for the past three months; it’s actually happening. On one hand, I’m thinking about how this is the start of a journey I’ll be talking about for the rest of my life. However, I’m also putting my life back home on hold. 

If I’m being completely honest I am going into this trip with good vibes and my visa. This is half a joke; I did not do nearly enough preparation as I probably should have. Having studied abroad before makes this whole process a little bit easier to handle, but it is still stressful on many levels. I went to London for three weeks this past May, and I was overthinking everything, which is normal when you’re going abroad for the first time. I do not recommend planning your trip around vibes like I have, especially if it’s your first time traveling internationally alone. 

I said my last goodbyes to my friends and loved ones yesterday. This is always bittersweet. I saw my hometown friends almost every day during my winter break (unemployed college student life), and every now and then, the intrusive thought of me leaving would pop into our conversations, but we always masked it with “We still have [X- amount of days] together.” However, we couldn’t resort to saying that yesterday. 

The goodbye that is always the hardest, whether I’m traveling back to Michigan or when I hop on a flight, is to my parents. Seeing them tear up when they dropped me off at the airport always brings a knot in my throat. As someone who is first-generation, I feel guilty about leaving my family and experiencing different things they haven’t had the chance to do. However, distance makes the heart grow fonder or whatever.  

The only thing that is harder than saying goodbye to people is packing. As an avid over-packer, I made it my goal for myself not to overpack for this trip. The thing that made this possible was thinking about all the stuff I’d buy throughout my stay. 

All this being said, as someone with a Type B personality, take the following tips before you depart for your study abroad journey.

Packing tips:

• When was the last time you wore that top? If the answer is over a month and a half, then don’t take it. Stuff you wear regularly should be a priority in your suitcase over items you think you will wear.
• Pack things that are versatile to style- Button-downs and skirts can always be dressed up or down and layer well 
• You can never go wrong with packing basics, they’re easy to mix and match.
• My go-to airport outfit for flights longer than two hours is a variation of a t-shirt, zip-up, or a chunky jacket that takes up too much space in your suitcase (This jacket can double as a pillow if you have a window seat). Also, wear your chunkiest shoes to save space. If you’re really determined to save space, wear jeans; However, I don’t recommend this. 

General Tips

Say your goodbyes early—saying goodbye to everyone in one day is overwhelming, so space it out throughout the week. 

Pack clothes that you don’t mind leaving behind- While I was packing I was thinking of all the clothing items I was going to purchase abroad, and it made me reevaluate many of the things I was packing. I would recommend packing some things you don’t mind leaving abroad. I’m on the hunt for a cute pair of white sneakers but I still packed a white pair of shoes. Why? Well, if I realize that my

Electronics—make sure your devices don’t need repairs, you have all your chargers packed, and you have the proper outlet converter for the country you will be staying in.

Reach out to your roommate—I stalked my roommate on Instagram (IG) the minute I found out my housing assignment. Charlotte if you’re reading this…oops.  Funny enough, even though I stalked her, she was the one who reached out first via email with her IG handle and phone number. We texted for a little and decided on meeting up together at the airport in Milan to make the trek to our apartment together.