The Grown-Up's Guide to Running Away from Home, Second Edition: Making a New Life Abroad (19 page)

At first it seems as though you’d never be able to fit everything in those three bags, but it’s plenty, especially if your destination is in a warm climate. Many more pairs of shorts will fit into a bag than heavy sweatpants. All bets are off if you need to pack parkas.

If you plan to remain in one place—like Portugal’s Algarve or Mexico—where the weather is relatively consistent or mild year-round, you’ll have an easier time packing than for four-season climates. The biggest problem is packing enough for a change of seasons or locales requiring different clothes. Packing in this situation can be done, however, with layering, which we’ll talk about later.

Most airlines allow a carry-on bag plus another carry-on such as a computer or purse, but regulations are much stricter these days and often change. Check your airline’s latest regulations before you pack. When we left the States, we were fortunate in being able to take a backpack (with notebook computer inside) as one carry-on. My husband’s carry-on contained important papers, a camera, an address book, a paperback for the plane, and so on.

We also had our dog, whose carrier came along as an extra-cost piece of baggage but was allowed in the passenger compartment with us. Because we
had all this, it was even more important to minimize our actual wardrobe cases, so we each checked two of them. That was it. In any case, check with the specific airline for exact regulations regarding the size and type of luggage permitted.

Take clothes that work with one another and also work under and over each other. You can layer a collared shirt with a sweater, then a windbreaker. By layering you can handle everything from spring through fall in most climates.

Jeans are comfortable friends for casual trips. Unfortunately, they’re also the bulkiest clothing item you can take on a journey and the worst to wash and dry quickly. If you must take jeans, limit them. Chinos or other cotton/polyester blend pants are more practical for men or women. They can be worn during the day for touring or made presentable for casual dinners out.

It’s sometimes difficult to find clothes that offer all the benefits of lightweight, nonbulky fabrics that are washable and fast to dry—and also have pockets for secure storage. Some catalog companies specialize in travel clothes with all these benefits. One of them is TravelSmith, (800) 950-1600,
www.travelsmith.com
. Their clothes for men and women fit a range of climates and are light, easy to pack and wash, and wrinkle-resistant. My husband’s particularly proud of the nylon cargo pants he found, which dry quickly, need no ironing, and have legs that you can zip off, converting them to shorts.

Take clothes whose colors blend easily with each other. This simplifies layering and provides countless additional combinations of outfits. Do not take special outfits in which only one shirt works with one skirt or pair of pants. For men, a sport coat works better than a suit, since the coat can be another layer for warmth or dressed up with a shirt and tie.

Women can take a skirt and blouse that match, to look like a dress, but can also be worn separately or together for dressier occasions. Something as small as a pair of earrings can dress up a casual outfit. Opt for versatility whenever possible.

A large T-shirt works with pants or as a sleep shirt. Sweatpants snuggle into cold sheets and work as exercise wear during the day. Slip-on shoes are casual daywear as well as handy slippers. Think like this and you can cover every possibility.

Choose clothes than can be worn casually or for dinner, with a change of accessories. A sweatshirt will always be a sweatshirt and can’t be worn except
for a very casual occasion. But a neat pullover sweater can work during the day or be suitable for casual dinners out. Chinos work well during the day or night for casual dinners. Short shorts aren’t as practical as longer ones or culottes for women, which can be presentable for touring or at a resort.

I recommend shirts with collars, especially the kind called “club” shirts. The collared shirts are more presentable than T-shirts and layer well with sweaters or under a sports coat.

It’s hard enough negotiating airports without having to carry a heavy case, especially if you need extras such as a backpack or dog carrier. Using a large roll-about bag as the base, you can carry another bag by stacking a smaller case onto it. By pulling these two pieces and wearing your backpack, you can get yourself around easily.

The variety of sizes in bags is important because once you’re overseas you can use the smaller bag or the backpack, which is multifunctional, for weekend trips.

A backpack comes in handy as an extra carry-on piece. Put your prescriptions and important papers, checkbooks, camera, and so on in it and never let it out of your sight. You would never check any of those things anyway. Once you’re overseas, the backpack comes in handy for carrying maps and your camera when wandering around, leaving your hands free to check out those wonderful handcrafted products. You can cycle wearing a backpack, and the pack can double as a beach bag, picnic hamper, or shopping bag for small purchases.

Take a supply of your prescription medicines that will last until you can find a physician and can arrange for prescriptions overseas. Other than these, you can buy most toiletries and clothing, so you need to pack only an initial supply.

The only exception is for those items you know to be extraordinarily expensive where you’re headed, or even unavailable. Pack extras for use until you get settled and find substitutes, or ask your visitors from the States to bring them. Most expats have at least one thing they require guests from the States to bring as their price of admission.

If your adventure is anywhere outside the United States, you’ll need a passport. The United States now requires this proof of citizenship when returning to the country from anywhere abroad. In addition, if you plan a stay overseas for sixty or ninety days, most countries will require a visa.

Your U.S. passport is now required, not just to
enter
many other countries, but to
return
to the United States.

Passport applications are available at many locations, including many post offices, government offices, public libraries, and over the Internet at
www.travel.state.gov/passport
. These locations will provide the forms; however, the first time you apply for a passport you must appear in person with the application and show proof of citizenship, including your birth certificate; be prepared with the original documents.

You’ll also need two clear two-by-two-inch pictures, taken within six months of the date of your application. The pictures must be taken against a light-colored background, with you looking straight at the camera; don’t try for that side angle, even if you think it’s more photogenic. You can have passport photos taken at most photo studios, or use one of those photo machines that are ubiquitous in shopping malls.

Take the completed passport application, supporting documents, and photos to the agency designated to accept passport applications, whether it’s a post office, clerk of court, public library, or government office. For the closest location, check online at
www.travel.state.gov/passport
.

Your application will be sent to one of the main U.S. passport agencies, which are located in Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Stamford, and Washington, D.C.

Leave plenty of time to arrange for your passport. You’ll need to find original documents and, even if you have these at your fingertips, once you apply, as of this writing it may take up to twelve weeks
or more
to receive your passport, depending on the time of year. Passport offices are especially busy in spring and summer, with people planning summer vacations. You must have the passport to apply for a visa, so if you need a visa, apply for your passport several additional months in advance. If you’re down to the wire and need the passport within two weeks, you can expedite the process by paying an extra fee for special service of $60 and overnight delivery costs in addition to the charge for the passport itself.

A passport costs $97 when you first apply; children younger than sixteen can apply for a passport for $82. For a child’s passport, both parents or legal guardians must appear. Even infants need their own passport.

U.S. electronic passports now include a computer chip in the back cover. It stores the information on the photo page digitally, including a digitized photo for new facial recognition technology.

Incidentally, if you plan to travel often to places where you’ll need a visa (see the “Visa” section that follows), you can request additional pages at no extra charge. However, most people can manage with the usual passport, which is easier to tuck into a pocket or purse. If necessary, you can have pages added later. Don’t do this yourself, however. In fact, don’t alter your passport in any way.

If you simply need to renew your passport, you can do it by mail, provided your most recent passport was issued within the last fifteen years and you were at least sixteen years old at that time. You’ll send the form in with your expiring passport, two recent passport photos, and a check or money order for $67.

The State Department provides passport renewal information on the Internet. You can download the forms you’ll need from the online home page of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs at
travel.state.gov/passport
. If you’re overseas, you can renew at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Don’t assume that just because the Internet takes microseconds your passport will be in your hands faster. If you’re in a rush and need a passport for a trip within two weeks, you’ll have to pay for expedited service.