Adding to the Zillions of Posts Out There on the Subject..

I remember before I left scouring the internet for posts on what to, and what not to bring to Korea. Some things I brought, I'm glad I did (pictures from home), but other things were totally from misguided information..and I could've picked up here (pillows).

Keep in mind..as my title says, there are zillions of these lists out here. When you pack, just think about the number one traveling debate, and decide which side you're on: spend a lot of money upon arrival vs. have a freaking heavy suitcase. If money is a concern, then bring the stuff that you know you'll need despite whether or not it's in Korea.

Bring this...
Clothes for work and play *this season*. I know this is a given, but the part between the asterisks is key.

Not that..
Your entire wardrobe. One, you can buy clothes *everywhere* in Korea. I know there are a lot of blog posts out there about Korean sizes, but (and this is more for the ladies because I don't really buy mens clothes), non-Asian stores like H&M carry pants up to a 34" waist. The biggest I've seen at Gap is a size 8 (maybe 10); non jeans-wise, clothes can go much bigger - I've seen tops and dresses up to a 2XL. If you are living near Seoul, definitely be able to count on buying clothes and shoes at any size.

Two, your weight will fluctuate here. It's the kimchi =p

Bring this...
A few keepsakes and momentos from home.

Not that..
Stuff for apartment decoration. Korea is the *cutest* country on the planet and there are entire stores dedicated to home decor.

Bring this...
An e-book reader. If you don't have one, go buy one.

Not that...
Books. They are heavy, and you will have a freaking tiny apartment with little storage space.

Bring this...
Headache medicine. Yes, you can get it here, but unlike America (or wherever "back home" is), you can't just walk into the convenience store and get it. All medicines (and bandages above the standard bandaid size) are sold only at the pharmacy, which is not open 24 hours. Most medicines are pretty cheap - however, ibuprofen can run $3 for a pack of 10.

Not that...
Your entire cosmetics line. Korea is *full* of skin care shops that sell the same stuff we get in America. There is a Body Shop around every corner. As far as makeup goes, the non-Korean stores sell pretty much the same products they do at home; the first floor of department stores is also dedicated to cosmetics (and luxury handbags).

**Note: If you have darker skin, bring face makeup.

Bring this..
One voltage converter/plug adapter. Your camera and laptop if you already own one.

Not that...
A voltage converter/plug adapter for every single electronic device you own. You can buy them here much cheaper than you can overseas. A few months after arriving, I bought new chargers for my iPod because the adapters do make things a bit finicky.

You can get all of this here....

• Bedding INCLUDING sheets. I'm not sure who started the rumor that Koreans don't sell sheets but...come on. They have to sleep here too =p
  
• A mattress pad - I read someone's blog in which she said this was the one thing she was glad she brought because beds are so hard. Well, that's true, but you can buy one of the mats Koreans use to sleep on the floor and just put it on your bed...much softer =p
  
• Hair products - Yes, Korean hair is a bit different than ours, but there are stores like Watsons that sell non-Korean brands
  
• Writing utensils - They are easier found here than America
  
• Peanut butter - Again, who started this rumor? You can get this here...
  
• iPhones - The Korean network is locked, and you'll have to go directly to the KT main office (no clue where that is) to get your phone on the network. I have an iPhone here...I didn't have to pay for it up front - rather, they took the cost of my phone and the cost of 2 years of service, divided that by 24, and that's my bill...I pay like $75/month for my iPhone (again, that includes the cost of the actual device
  
• Speakers - One, you can get them here. Two, walls are THHINNNNN - you will disturb your neighbors
  
• Comfortable walking shoes - Korea is full of Nike, New Balance, Adidas, etc. stores - there's even a shop that sells all of them: ABC Mart (yes, I know, every time I see one, I think about the liquor store =p). These shoes are pretty unisex, and come in a pretty big array of sizes.
  
• Korean language and travel books - Most major bookstores have a fair sized English section...and all of them have info on living in Korea. If you are going to study Korean before you leave, learn the alphabet, familiarize yourself with the basic foods, and learn phrases handy for shopping and ordering in restaurants.

Korea is a foreign country, not a distant planet. Stuff can be shipped here. Likewise, Koreans are a different culture, not an alien race. They do the same things we do: sleep, eat, travel, work, and play; and they use pretty much the same things we do for those activities. There is nothing you won't miss for a year, I promise. Most of the stuff I brought is now either too big, or has been shoved in a box under my bed, almost completely forgotten...

Meds Overseas..

Visited St. Augustine yesterday for a final goodbye to my various crews. It was awful, and I had to call someone on my way home to keep from totally crying. The great thing about going on a Sunday was that the entire house was off at a decent hour, so we were all able to go out to dinner. As I'm going to Asia, they decided that the thing I would probably not get over there would be Mexican, so we went to El Potro (yes, much queso was consumed ;)) and then to Village Inn because they don't have ovens to bake pie in Korea ;)

Melissa gave me a fantastic departure gift: more toothpaste than you can shake a stick at! I know that Aclipse recruiters claim that the toothpaste over there *isn't* packed with sugar, but I want to be sure... I also went to Target and picked up a ton of deodorant. Later, at the house, I made a comment about visiting my old roommates; Dereck responded, "We are old and Audrey apparently has an odor problem!" I digress - at Melissa's, we ran into her neighbor (Beck: the woman who replaced Randy Taylor) who travels overseas a lot and she gave me this long freaking pharmacy list. Now, while I'm taking all advice with a grain of salt - especially as everything I buy must be *packed*, there were a few things I listened to:

• Culturelle - a probiotic. This was the only thing I listened to with the whole "Get a 3 month supply" advice..
  
• Immodium - still with this whole Audrey will probably get sick idea
  
• Monistat - TMI, I know, but in case any female is reading this who is also going overseas, their toilet paper may be a bit different than what we're used to..
  
• Benadryl
  
• Cold medicine in case you pick up something on the plane and don't know enough about the culture to get something

She also suggested to pick up feminine hygiene products in case what's sold over there is different - but several female Aclipse teachers have confirmed that they've been able to find Tampax, so I'm not taking that one too seriously.. I also picked up some Airborne which I will be taking religiously for the next several days as me=sick on the plane=awful.

While on this adventure, Jess tossed some wet ones in my basket. She said that her airplane ran out of water and it was nice to have *something* to was her hands with after going potty. Also, she said I may want them for things like wiping down surfaces before I sit down..

Back to this awful beast that is packing. I've eliminated the space bags because they just aren't flexible once the air is gone. Crossing my fingers in hope that I actually can fit it all x.x

But this time I have the Glee soundtrack!

I Don't Think I can Take It All...

Welcome to the world I call "Trying to Pack". I thought that leaving my previous high stress job had the whole panic attack thing licked.... Well, that was until I tried to pack everything I thought I might need in the next year or so into two suitcases with a 50 lb limit each. As shipping costs are a nightmare, especially if you want something like a tracking number, I'm trying to keep the amount Mom has to send me way down.

I'm taking more shoes than I care to admit on here - mostly because I'm sure my parents will read this one day and I can hear it all now. I believe that actually only one person knows the true number. Despite this, they're not taking up too much room in my suitcase (I'm actually shocked at how compact all *hmmhmmhmm* pairs became). I now only need to make room for one more Space Bag, and I'm beginning to think that it may actually be easier to try to pack in the clothes sans bag. Still need to transfer a few things from my carryon as, for some reason, I tried to pack *everything* I'd need for training week in that thing. Don't ask - I don't understand my strangeness either.

So of all the questions I've asked, I feel that this one is the most important: how many times can you reuse a space bag before the thing gives up and says, "Honey, just pack less"?

Resuming packing on Monday. If I can fit it all, I will be one very *very* happy Audrey.