Eight months ago, I packed my life into a suitcase and carry-on and moved from Canada to Japan. Since then, I've spent clip successful Tokyo, Osaka, and Kumamoto, living retired of short-term rentals.
Because I knew I'd beryllium moving around, I needed to support my belongings ray capable for easy proscription — and, of course, I wanted to time off room for the things I'd inevitably bargain on the way.
Going from my two-bedroom apartment, packed closet, and bath afloat of products to a mini rotation of outfits, toiletries, and necessities has decidedly been an adjustment.
Despite that, I'm gladsome I downsized my belongings. The acquisition has taught maine to unrecorded pinch a batch less, and I made immoderate beautiful bully choices astir what to bring abroad.
Still, location are besides a fewer things I didn't deliberation I'd request that I'm really missing now.
These are the 3 things I'm gladsome I packed — and a fewer I wish I'd brought.
I did a awesome occupation creating a capsule wardrobe.
Before moving, I spent a agelong clip reasoning astir which clothing items to bring.
I didn't want to usage up my full suitcase, because I knew I'd request room for immoderate caller apparel I bought successful Japan. I besides wanted to beryllium capable to mix and lucifer outfits.
Eventually, I landed connected 2 pairs of jeans, a brace of jean shorts, sneakers, waterproof boots, 2 long-sleeve shirts, 2 sweaters, a dress, 2 skirts, 4 vessel tops, and a fewer jackets.
I emotion having basic, neutral black-and-white apparel that each brace together, truthful it's easy to enactment functional and stylish without looking for illustration I deterioration the aforesaid point each day.
I'm gladsome I brought a folding toiletry bag.
I've ever packed abstracted bags for my makeup, hairbrushes, toothbrush, and each my jewelry.
Instead of doing that this clip around, I decided to effort a folding toiletry bag, and it's been a full crippled changer.
Now I tin fresh my accessories, makeup, razors, and everything other into 1 place. It folds up easily, fits into my suitcase, and I tin conscionable unfastened it up and bent it successful the bath whenever I'm getting ready.
My portable show was a smart investment.
This was a acquisition I made specifically for Japan, and I would've had a overmuch harder clip utilizing my laptop without it.
I sewage my first show erstwhile I was a teacher, and it wholly changed really I worked. I ever person a cardinal tabs unfastened truthful I tin do aggregate things astatine once, and a 2nd surface makes a immense difference.
My portable show is ace slim, and it fits easy successful my machine container aliases carry-on. Plus, it came successful useful erstwhile I stayed astatine an Airbnb successful Tokyo without a TV — my hubby and I utilized it arsenic a surface truthful we could play our Nintendo Switch.
I'm decidedly gladsome I brought it, and I scheme to support utilizing it erstwhile I'm backmost home.
On the different hand, I should've packed much of my go-to hairsbreadth product.
There are a fewer things I wish I'd packed much of, chiefly because I underestimated really costly aliases difficult they'd beryllium to find successful Japan.
I person people thick, curly hair, and I can't conscionable usage immoderate merchandise connected it. Curly-haired group get it.
I've been loyal to my favourite curl gel for years, and it's the only merchandise I really request aft my lavation days — but because it's truthful popular, it usually sells retired for months astatine a time.
I sewage my hands connected immoderate earlier moving and brought a dupe merchandise pinch me, but that only lasted a fewer months. Since then, I haven't recovered thing akin that useful for my hairsbreadth type successful stores.
I've besides noticed that curly hairsbreadth products are significantly more costly connected Amazon Japan. One merchandise I've utilized arsenic a dupe costs astir CA$29 connected Amazon Canada, but almost CA$50 connected Amazon Japan.
In hindsight, giving up the other suitcase abstraction for much merchandise would've been good worthy it.
Antiperspirant deodorant has been difficult to find.
Back successful Canada, I was utilized to summertime days that reached 85 degrees Fahrenheit aliases more, but I ever recovered the power somewhat dry. Here successful Japan, I've spent clip successful the Kyushu region erstwhile astir days were astir 95 degrees Fahrenheit pinch tons of humidity.
When I stepped outside, it genuinely felt for illustration I was stepping into a bedewed wall of heat.
Before coming here, I figured I'd beryllium capable to find Western-style deodorant. I tried a few, but recovered them to beryllium a batch lighter than the products I was utilized to, and I'd sweat them disconnected immediately.
Luckily, my sister-in-law came to the rescue pinch a mates of sticks erstwhile she visited — but if I had a do-over, I'd definitely pack more.
I wish I'd brought amended moving shoes.
Before coming to Japan, I bought a caller brace of sneakers online. Unfortunately, wrong a fewer months of regular walking, they collapsed down, and I had to get free of them.
That wouldn't usually beryllium a huge deal, but finding shoes successful my size present is beautiful difficult. I'm usually a size 9 US, sometimes a 10, and I've recovered that astir Japanese stores don't transportation supra an 8.
I was capable to find my size astatine Onitsuka Tiger, truthful that's wherever I'll astir apt spell for my adjacent brace of runners. Still, I wish I'd either bought 2 pairs of sneakers aliases invested successful better-quality ones from the get-go.
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Alessa Hickman is simply a freelance writer, editor, and contented strategist moving crossed lifestyle, travel, food, and profession storytelling. Her activity includes individual essays, recreation writing, and reflections connected life abroad, arsenic good arsenic integer resources and marque content. Connect pinch Alessa astatine https://www.alessahickman.com/ or connected LinkedIn.
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