what to pack and what to ship over later

[vicks5721]

For months now I have been sorting out my possessions of what to keep, what to give away to charity and what I have given to family or friends.
I think I have it pretty figured out now, just at times I still think I am taking too much stuff or items to be shipped over later. I am keeping memories from countries I have lived in the past and I have really cut down on how much craft materials I have now to just my favourites that I know I will use for scrapbooking and then I have my sentimental items.

I am curious in your experience what decisions do you make with packing your possessions when you moved or are going to move to be with your SO?

My views is that when it comes to crafts for example I can start again, I only have kept the items that are from my travels such as in Austria I got stickers, the same with seasonal clothing I can buy it when needed.

I love to read novels, but as I only read it once, I gave all of them away to charity shops, and I am okay with that as it goes to a good cause. I know generally what items I am going to pack in my carry on and some I will pack in my checked luggage, I just always think about I don't want the checked luggage to weigh too much. I think it's about making priorities of what to bring first and what to bring later or to ship over. But really possessions are not what is important, it is the fact that we will be together at last and close the distance for good. My main sentimental items is actually family photos and videos which are on my laptop, some printed out and some on cd/dvd.

[snow]

I cramped everything I own into two big suit cases, a carry on and a handbag. There is a lot of things I want my family to ship over, like my CDs and games or some other small souvenirs that didn't fit into my suitcase and they said they would probably send me a package every month or so with some of my stuff and a lot of chocolate. The most important thing to me were my stationary supplies, because most of them were gifts from my family as well as notebooks.

I took all my clothes with me, because even though I can buy them there, there is no need to waste money on clothes if I already have them. Then again, I took a lot of my clothes with me on my visits and left them with him, like a 50lbs bag of spring and summer clothes on my second visit as well as my computer which I would not have any space for right now :P

Both my checked bags are going to weigh about 30lbs but they are full. I wanted them to be as close to 50lbs as possible so I wouldn't feel bad for leaving anything behind, but I filled them as much as I could. I feel bad that I can't take most of my mugs and glasses with me, but I am sure I will eventually find some glasses or cups that I will like in America (in fact I have gotten two mugs for Christmas last year that are just waiting for me over there )

[differentcountries]

The important rule of thumb is; what would I cry about if it was lost in a fire? That is what I try to keep in mind now that me and my husband is about to move houses - I don't want to take junk with me to the new flat, or even stuff I don't neccesarily need. I am throwing out new stuff each month. I want the new flat to be neat, even if we are just moving across town. Especially, SO will hopefully come in January to stay 2-4 weeks so I want lots of room for him/us as a couple. We have decorated with some Turkish stuff, like bead "pictures", picturecarpet", some Eye-stuff and so on, and of course pictures. The memories are the most important things. The only solid things I really care about is a desk I inherited from my grandfather (who also used the desk shelves to store wine, like I do) and maybe 1-2 other items. I used to be so attatched to my things but I am not any more. I am addicted to books still, but not my things.

I have kept a flat with SO this season, I will probably bring the clothes back to Norway this time (as I might need them...if fact I have hardly bought any clothes this past year apart from things bought with him, so I figure I will need them over winter). I already flew most of the study books. I figure we will store all the kitchen stuff somwhere over winter. The cosmetics I will leave with him or take to Norway, I have not decided. Whatever food items, candles etc. we will try to finish this visit. My biggest concern is the cat - she can take care of herself outside, but I at least want to take her to the vet before I go, to make sure she doesn't have worms etc. I am really sad to be packing down, but on the other hand I am not ready for the responsability of renting full time. We don't even know where he prefers to live in Turkey in the long run, or if he prefers to come here. We both want to have at least some kind of condo in Turkey at some point (apart from his mother's house) but that is going to be a bit costly so it is not to think about for now, but I figure we will keep little stuff. He tought me you can live well with almost nothing.

[dizzyupthemeg]

I'm lucky because when I go to Canada for good, I'll be driving. Therefore I can take whatever I can fit in the trunk of my car. Surprisingly, it isn't that much though. I'll be take a lot of clothing, mainly jeans. I can replace most things in Canada, but I can get tall jeans for half the price here so I'm stocking up. I'm taking pictures/other memory type items that I could never leave behind. I'm also taking my dishes. I have a much nicer set than my husband, and I don't want to part with them. I've already started leaving clothes in Edmonton to try and cut back. I'll have two animals with me on that final drive so I won't have any extra room.

The only things I'm shipping are my books. It's a bit crazy, but I can't part with most of them. I'm more than thankful for the "if it fits, it ships" program that the U.S. postal service offers.

[vicks5721]

The important rule of thumb is; what would I cry about if it was lost in a fire? That is what I try to keep in mind now that me and my husband is about to move houses - I don't want to take junk with me to the new flat, or even stuff I don't neccesarily need. I am throwing out new stuff each month. I want the new flat to be neat, even if we are just moving across town. Especially, SO will hopefully come in January to stay 2-4 weeks so I want lots of room for him/us as a couple. We have decorated with some Turkish stuff, like bead "pictures", picturecarpet", some Eye-stuff and so on, and of course pictures. The memories are the most important things. The only solid things I really care about is a desk I inherited from my grandfather (who also used the desk shelves to store wine, like I do) and maybe 1-2 other items. I used to be so attatched to my things but I am not any more. I am addicted to books still, but not my things.

I have kept a flat with SO this season, I will probably bring the clothes back to Norway this time (as I might need them...if fact I have hardly bought any clothes this past year apart from things bought with him, so I figure I will need them over winter). I already flew most of the study books. I figure we will store all the kitchen stuff somwhere over winter. The cosmetics I will leave with him or take to Norway, I have not decided. Whatever food items, candles etc. we will try to finish this visit. My biggest concern is the cat - she can take care of herself outside, but I at least want to take her to the vet before I go, to make sure she doesn't have worms etc. I am really sad to be packing down, but on the other hand I am not ready for the responsability of renting full time. We don't even know where he prefers to live in Turkey in the long run, or if he prefers to come here. We both want to have at least some kind of condo in Turkey at some point (apart from his mother's house) but that is going to be a bit costly so it is not to think about for now, but I figure we will keep little stuff. He tought me you can live well with almost nothing.

I understand that, exactly would it matter if certain things not lost in a fire, that's a good way to look at it. I know for me the most important things are my family memories, the photos, videos and handmade cards and drawings my nieces made for me when they were younger, things like that basically. I threw out stuff or gave it away from around August last year and I am still making decisions to cut back on what I own even right up to before I am finally going to be with my fiance in America, as it gives me something to do and I know with certain things I can buy new ones such as craft stuff.

That sounds exciting that you are going to move into a new apartment with your SO, I am excited for when my fiance and I go to stores to buy furniture for our apartment when we close the distance soon and to pick out things for the kitchen, things to make it homely and our own place, things of both cultures too, like he already has a british flag that he put on the wall, he bought it when he came to England to visit me in May. I have become less attached to my things too, I have decided to think do I really need it, only the sentimental things I have kept, I have two folders of drawings my nieces did and I have 7 full journals. I used to have penpals, and I have a box full of the letters, they are special to me as well. I agree it is possible to live well with almost nothing, at the end of the day if something is too big to keep, another option is to take a photo of it, at least that way you can remember what it looked like.

[vicks5721]

I cramped everything I own into two big suit cases, a carry on and a handbag. There is a lot of things I want my family to ship over, like my CDs and games or some other small souvenirs that didn't fit into my suitcase and they said they would probably send me a package every month or so with some of my stuff and a lot of chocolate. The most important thing to me were my stationary supplies, because most of them were gifts from my family as well as notebooks.

I took all my clothes with me, because even though I can buy them there, there is no need to waste money on clothes if I already have them. Then again, I took a lot of my clothes with me on my visits and left them with him, like a 50lbs bag of spring and summer clothes on my second visit as well as my computer which I would not have any space for right now :P

Both my checked bags are going to weigh about 30lbs but they are full. I wanted them to be as close to 50lbs as possible so I wouldn't feel bad for leaving anything behind, but I filled them as much as I could. I feel bad that I can't take most of my mugs and glasses with me, but I am sure I will eventually find some glasses or cups that I will like in America (in fact I have gotten two mugs for Christmas last year that are just waiting for me over there )

I used to have CDs but I realised I am content with listening to music on spotify where I can make playlists and youtube so I don't buy or keep them anymore, my books I used to keep them on a shelf of what to read next or books I had finished, I used to love how they all looked displayed in a row, having a collection, but I knew it isn't practical for me personally as I read them once and then they just sit on the shelf, I believe that if something is not useful or being used then I am silly to keep the items, up until 2012 I used to collection ornaments, but I realised that it creates too much dust and I got bored of that hobby anyway, which is good as I won't have to worry about that extra weight. I have kept my late Nan's(she passed away in 1999) ornament though of an angel and it is a wind up one that plays a christmas carol, it means something to me as it is the memory that my Nan used to love ornaments and china dolls. I used to have a china doll of her's as well but it got broken, so I parted with it. I agree with you I love my craft supplies, I am only keeping the souvenir ones from Austria, Greece and America when I went to those places mainly. I am going to take all my clothes as well, and I agree I think it is better to not waste money on buying clothes when I have enough for now, I don't know what to do about coats though, I know in Minnesota it will be freezing cold by the time I arrive, I have about 3 clothes, not many but still I have to figure out how to make it fit. I am taking about only maybe 3 or 4 pairs of shoes as well, I don't have many anyways. That idea of leaving stuff there when you visited him sounds great, I wish I could of done that.

[vicks5721]

I'm lucky because when I go to Canada for good, I'll be driving. Therefore I can take whatever I can fit in the trunk of my car. Surprisingly, it isn't that much though. I'll be take a lot of clothing, mainly jeans. I can replace most things in Canada, but I can get tall jeans for half the price here so I'm stocking up. I'm taking pictures/other memory type items that I could never leave behind. I'm also taking my dishes. I have a much nicer set than my husband, and I don't want to part with them. I've already started leaving clothes in Edmonton to try and cut back. I'll have two animals with me on that final drive so I won't have any extra room.

The only things I'm shipping are my books. It's a bit crazy, but I can't part with most of them. I'm more than thankful for the "if it fits, it ships" program that the U.S. postal service offers.

You are lucky, I wish I could drive to America lol, but that big massive ocean is in between. It would be a good way to take stuff and not have to worry about weight restrictions for the airport, I actually don't know how to drive, so if it was possible I would get a lift there or take the train. I parted with most of my craft supplies because I knew buying new stuff to replace it will be so much cheaper in America and I will be spoilt for choice in those craft stores like Micheals and Archivers, I have been to both when I was in America in 2011, I was in there browsing for hours lol.

I haven't shipped anything before, I don't even know how to do it, most likely my fiance and I will come back to England for a visit next year and we will fit stuff I couldn't take the first time into our suitcases and the rest we will ship with Fedex or UPS or Parcelforce. That "if it fits, it ships" idea sounds great. lol I have lived in a few countries in Europe in the past, but as I lived with a host family as an au pair I didn't take any of my personal items and I was only there temporarily anyway. I left everything at my mum's house, so shipping will be a new experience when I finally do it.

[Petals]

I've started to think about this because I am planning to move some of my stuff there when I visit this Christmas. When I moved to the USA I took two large suitcases along with my carry-on. I took important documents of course, notebooks from my childhood days as I love to read over these (I was so mature lol), samples from my previous small business and just mementos from England where I lived for a few years.

I don't tend to move with a lot of clothes, since I tend to buy cheap stuff lol, but oh my shoes - I tend to take as many as possible. This will be my third move and once again, I will not be taking any furniture. I gave away my previous furniture to my family when I moved to the UK and US, but this time I will be selling stuff. I will have about 5 months to get rid of stuff so hopefully will find buyers for everything.

[differentcountries]

The things we will store a couple of months before getting into our Turkey flat is mostly kitchen supplies as we both like to cook. There are also some towels, candle stuff, books, cookbooks, a poster, our two fans (one I brought from Norway and don't want to take back as we will need it more in Turkey for the summer), parts of our collection of shells and stones (the other half is in Norway. They mean a lot to us because nobody ever finds shells on that beach but him) and our two bikes. That is what will be left /stored when I leave today. I will bring clothes and cosmetics to Norway. I will probably bring or buy more stuff next season, and I hope we can find ways to have the cat indoors without him destroying the new flat. What happens after that depends a lot on weather or not he has to go to military (there is an option to pay money instead).

[aniay]

On the last trip to UK i realized that beside some paperwork that i will NEED, the only thing that I would really mind leaving here is my laptop and photos.
So... from planning to pack everything up I suddenly reazlied how small I actually want to take with me.