Moving countries with a dog: a long post about packing!
Packing up your entire life in a couple of suitcases is a challenge to say the least, especially when you're taking your full art studio and everything your dog owns with you. Here's how I packed for my move from Finland to the UK. :)
Start planning your packing well in advance: I wrote my list two weeks before the move, and added to it almost daily since I'd forgotten everything important, as you do. You'll
also need to check how much luggage you can bring - if you're flying
it's generally around 20kg per suitcase, and if you're bringing your pet
on board you have to make sure it weighs no more than 8kg (or 6kg for
some airlines) including the weight of it's bag. The pet's bag
has to fit under the seat in front of you and should be a soft one so
you can slightly squash the fabric to fit if it's not the exact size,
bearing in mind your pet should be able to spend the entirety of the
flight in it comfortably. You're also allowed a little carry-on bag in
addition to your pet, so pack all your travel essentials in that. Before packing make sure to check what you cannot bring on the plane! If you're flying to the UK you can bring your printer ink, for example, but you couldn't if you are flying to the USA as they have very strict rules in regards to ink cartridges.
Make a list: This seems like the most obvious tip ever, and if you've ever moved house you'll know how to do this in a way that works for you. However, moving from country to country you'll have to trim the list down a little unless you're prepared to dish out for a removal company (which is dead expensive if you're going on a student budget!), and consider what you can replace once you've moved or bring along later if you're able to leave things behind in storage or with family. Here's my list:
Paperwork:
travel documents (pop them in a plastic wallet so they're all in one place for you to grab when you need to.)
passports (for people and pets alike - make sure they're up to date and that the pets have all the correct vaccination details marked in there.)
tenancy paperwork (everything to do with your rented flat that you'll need.)
university paperwork (you'll need it to set up a bank account if you don't have one already, among other things!)
medical records and prescriptions (although you won't be able to use them abroad as such, you may find them useful when going to your new doctor - also if you have a national insurance card bring that along too!)
any other identification and legal paperwork
a map or list of important addresses in your new hometown (because you'll need to know where the bank, GP, post office supermarket, and many other places are located practically as soon as you arrive, and that means before the broadband is set up.)
Clothes:
two or three weeks worth of t-shirts/tops
plenty of underclothes and socks (these can be used to protect fragile items in your suitcase, such as ornaments if you're a hoarder like me and can't bear to part with your collection)
three or four pairs of trousers
warm clothes just in case (that is if you're moving in the summer, in the winter this one is obvious!)
a pair or two of thick or woolly socks (for cold evenings and wellies if you're moving to the UK!)
jim jams (warm and cold weather ones)
a pair of boots, a pair of nice shoes, crocs or sandals (wear trainers when you move!)
at least one pair of gloves, hat and scarf
jean jacket, sports coat, raincoat, warm autumn coat (I don't know whether I'll need a full-on winter coat in the UK, I may buy one later - but I've got a winter gilet which can be chucked on top of the autumn coat for added warmth).
Dog clothes:
two warm jumpers
two raincoats (because on rainy days you really don't want to do two to three walks with a soggy coat)
a set of booties
lifevest
hi-vis jacket
spare leash, harness and collar.
Soft furnishings and decorations:
a quilt (I'm talking about a crocheted little quilt, not a duvet, you can buy one when you arrive!)
a couple of throw pillow cases (if you have nice ones you don't want to leave behind that is, don't even think about taking the actual pillows for goodness sake - those are easily and affordably replaceable)
a stuffed toy (if you're sentimental like me!)
a few SMALL ornaments (I collect dog figurines, art, and prints, I'll pick and choose the best ones to bring with me).
Books and DVDS:
any dvds you want to bring, packed in storage cases (I have A LOT of videos because I've always got something on whenever I paint, but instead of bringing all those boxes with me I've grudgingly agreed to pop all the disks into those big folder things - much easier to move with)
a few important art and reference books I'll definitely need
a couple of fictional ones to last the initial week or two (I may eventually have my collection shipped over, but for now there's simply too much to bring along)
recipe book (I've got a homemade one with all my favourite recipes jotted down in it)
Dog supplies:
food and water bowls plus the plastic mat they go on (if your dog is anything like mine, there's NO WAY they'll agree to eat and drink in a new enviroment from brand new set of bowls)
brush
nail clippers
fur scissors
heat pants (for intact girly girls)
paw balm (only if you've already got a tin open!)
frisbees (or any other sports equipment your dog may use that costs a pretty penny)
one or two balls
a soft toy or two
Art stuff:
Printer (I'm shipping mine separately since it's MASSIVE - I'm using sendmybag.com which seems to be the best and most affordable option - just be aware that you cannot ship the ink cartridges along with the printer, so either use them up or pack them in your suitcase. I managed to pack all my paper and packaging supplies as well as some other studio bits and bobs in my printer's box too, since I paid for 30kg and my printer only weighed 16kg on it's own. I'll update this post once I've moved and let you know how that's worked out!)
portfolio (only the best work from the past year or so - if you can leave your older work with family or in storage then do that because if you're like me and have accumulated an absolute mountain of originals, it's doesn't make sense to bring it all with you.)
laptop and charger
external hard drive
painting supplies (for me it's a tin of gouaches, a watercolour set, any salvageable paintbrushes since I've not replaced most of mine for ages, pencil case with the most used pens and pencils, one full pad of good paper and all remaining painting boards, one or two of these fab clay yoghurt pots I use for watercolours, and two little palettes)
wacom board and pen
scissors (you'll probably need them during the move too!)
In addition to all this, I've also listed my meds and makeup, a hair dryer (I've got a REALLY nice one), a few choice pieces of jewellery, a couple of my nicer bags, maybe one set of sheets and a towel or two. Basically make sure you bring things you're sure you'll need, and store everything else with family or with a storage service, and brin
g it over in little batches when you can or sell it at a flea market or garage sale.
Time your packing well: If you're moving with pets like me, do not pack their day-to-day belongings until right before you leave. This may not apply to every pet, but my dog will work herself into a panic if she sees me packing too early - when we go for holidays I try to pack and leave as quickly as possible so the trip will go as smoothly as possible, and that same idea will apply for moving too. Obviously everything else needs to be packed earlier, so what I've done is laid everything out into a couple of washing baskets ready to dump in the suitcases quickly and easily. I started really packing this weekend before the move begins on Monday evening.
Set aside things to be moved at a later date: If you're moving countries and you've got friends or family who'll be visiting you after you've moved, it's a good idea to have them bring over some of your non-urgent belongings with them. Make sure these things will be easy to find - bag them up ready to be packed later!
That's about it, tomorrow (Monday) we head off to Helsinki for the night before flying out on Tuesday. If my blog goes back to radio silence, I can guarantee it's due to lack of internet connection in the new flat. But I'm sure I'll have lots to talk about after the move, so I'll write to you on the other side! :)
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