New team. Now packing. moving overseas

August 12, 2015 Posted in Athletes, Coaches, Website

Okay, so you got your contract in the bag, visa safely secured, and some local cash at hand. Now the only thing left is to fill our whole life into a tiny suitcase. 20 European kilos max!

Trust me, we’ve all been there. We’ve all thought about wearing three sets of pants, five layers of sweaters plus an oversized jacket to fill all its pockets.

But you know what?

They have stores overseas too! Okay, IF you are particularly tall (and I heard this can happen in prosports), you might want to consult the internet beforehand to see what you can find in your new country of residence. A good rule is that if you already have a hard time finding outfits at home, they same will be true in your new home abroad. But overall, really, you could literally travel with nothing but your sports gear, favorite outfit, and maybe a toothbrush and you would be off to a fantastic start. Of course, we are attached to our belongings, clothes and memorabilia because they have a high emotional value. Who isn’t attached to the T-Shirt they won at their first three point shooting or dunk contest. But add about ten of those and you are not going to stare into a friendly face at the check-in counter.

Here is a suggestion:

1) Put all of the clothes, shoes, technical equipment and hygiene products that you think you cannot live without on your bed.

2) Sort them into must-have, nice-to-haves, not-necessary-but-could-be-nice piles. Check if the must-have items correspond with the items on our packing list (Download the packing list for abroad here).

3) Then try to fit the must-have items in your suitcase. Is there still room for more? Score! No, don’t turn to your nice-to-have pile.

4) Go to your favorite supermarket or grocery store. Grab the items you absolutely connect to the flavor of “home”, and get a few of each (depending on the size). Fill the rest of your suitcase space up with these super-essential homesickness fixes. You can thank me later (tweet me @fitaxcultures)!

A couple of extra tips: Rolled is better than folded! Stuff the empty space of your shoes! Take one full outfit in your carry-on in case your suitcase gets stuck along the way (happens more often than you think on connecting flights)! Know your rights when it comes to flight delays and damaged luggage (your insurance might reimburse you)!

Now, get crackin’ packing! And if you need a bit of help, grab my free packing list to start your international journey as an athlete abroad with success.

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Susan Salzbrenner

Ms. Susan Salzbrenner helps professional athletes navigate across cultures, manage their international career and transition well in between different career stages. She is a coach and trainer, specialized in cultural intelligence, global talent development and leadership.She recently published the book Play Abroad 101.