Words cannot express how excited I am for the Winter One Trip coming up in just a few weeks! If I could be on the plane with you guys, I would be there. But alas, going on another International Business Seminar was not in the budget this year. It was about this time that I started planning my outfits for the different types of days that we would be having on our trip. In order to pack in just a carry-on, you need to do this soon!
You may wonder why packing in a carry-on would be beneficial, or even possible when you’re going to be in Europe during the wintertime for two whole weeks. Well, when you’re traveling to five different countries by Eurostar and by charter bus, you’ll be glad to only have to lug around a small bag instead of a big bag.
How to Pack for International Business Seminars
You should have received your packet explaining how many casual, business casual, and business professional outfits to be prepared to bring. Try laying out what you expect to bring for each day’s events…then cut that down by about 1/3rd. If you really want to travel light, you need to be prepared to not take every little thing you want.
Because of the nature of the weather in Europe when you’ll be there, remember that for most of the pictures that you will be taking, your winter jacket will be the star of most photos. So bring a few different scarves, which takes up much less room if you squish them into a plastic bag, and focus on layering underneath your jacket to keep you warm.
Another note that I have to stress for your packing: bring a pair of tennis shoes. You may think that you want to wear booties or dress shoes every day to look fashionable. I thought this too until it was day three of our trip and my feet were already exhausted and covered in blisters. Needless to say, unless I was at one of the business events, I was in my tennis shoes. If you want to bring a pair of bulky boots, wear them on the plane so that you don’t have to pack them, this will make your suitcase lighter.
Make Your Own Space
For strategic packing, I’ve heard of the fold, the roll, the cubes – I say do all three. Because you have to pack business casual and business professional attire, you must be conscientious about folding your suit jacket and pants to minimize wrinkles. For items of clothing that matter less like your sweaters, leggings, or jeans, just roll those up and tuck them into any nook or cranny you can find.
The cube style is one that I had not tried before my trip and now I swear by it! You can find these cloth “cubes” at your local travel store and cram your small, loose clothing items (underwear and socks) into the cube and zip it up. It then consolidates all of those items into a tiny space that you can find almost instantly.
With that, I just want to wish you all safe travels on this exciting journey! Some last minute words of advice: don’t be afraid to talk to people that you don’t know; my first roommate on the trip has become a dear friend of mine. Live in the moment while you’re over there, you may never get to experience such things again. And finally, have fun!
