Packing light is the only way to go when traveling abroad. In addition to the added weight and bulk when actually traveling, taking lots of personal belongings adds unnecessary liability to your trip. The possibility of misplacing or otherwise losing important items or documents only adds more stress to the equation.
Thus I have decided to be as judicious as possible in planning my pack list for my trip and take some additional steps to ensure that
- my data stays safe,
- my bags stay light, and
- my technology sits largely out of the way of my experience.
These three goals undoubtedly go hand-in-hand. That being said, this is my thought process for each of the goals:
Keeping my data safe
Let’s back up a bit before we move foward. In late 2015 my apartment was robbed while I was working in Boston. My computer, hard drives (with the only copies of all my photos up to that point), and a majority of my camera equipment were all stolen. I learned the hard way that having multiple copies of any important information is absolutely crucial to prevent permanent loss in case of robbery or other accident.
As such, I took it upon myself to find a low-cost, easy-to-use option to store my photos and documents in a secure and remote location. While cloud services are convenient, their costs add up over time and many of their privacy policies are shrouded in ambiguous legalese. I finally decided to create my own backup server using a Raspberry Pi and Resilio Sync. With my backup server up and running, my photos will automagically sync to a secure, safe location as soon as I import them to my hard drive. In addition, all of my hard drives are encrypted. This means that nobody will be able to see what is on my drives without a master password that only I know. That way my personal data will stay safe even if the worst happens and I am robbed again.
Keeping my bag light
Daily travel will be a large part of my experience in Madrid. From exploring the Malasaña neighborhood to taking international (or even inter-continental) flights, I need to pack essentials and be prepared for spontaneous adventure. My studies and interest in photography make my camera and computer a must. Deciding what tech to cart along with me every day is naturally going to be a on-the-fly decision, so I will be researching the best bags that do not scream “I CONTAIN A LAPTOP AND PROFESSIONAL CAMERA EQUIPMENT, STEAL ME!!!” in the coming weeks.
Study Abroad offices worldwide advise students against storing valuable items in conspicuous or otherwise predictable locations. The office at Appalachian State even went as far to suggest I bring a “dummy” wallet with me, filled with expired cards and IDs in case I am confronted for my money. I am considering purchasing a RFID-protected money belt for cash and identification to further protect my valuables.
Keeping technology out of my way
A professor once shared an anecdote with me: he had lived in Germany for a short bit and regularly took the train for work and travel. He started paying attention to those around him on the trains and saw a noticeable difference between the people making the most of their journey and those who viewed it as an inconvenience. There were patrons who took advantage of their time in the trains, either reading, working, or enjoying the views from the window; and there were patrons who complained, tried to sleep, or were visibly annoyed with any delay or inconvenience. Over his time in Germany my professor made the conscious decision to enjoy the journey to his destination, living in the present and experiencing everything as fully as he could.
Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As I outlined in my previous post, I am using Study Abroad to culture myself in new ways and become a better world citizen. The last thing I need in front of my eyes during my trip will be a screen. In recent years there have been numerous reports of a cultural shift towards smartphone addiction and overuse – something I personally grappled with for a while. I have found that silencing notifications from all apps is a great practice – moving forward, my phone remains silent except for emergencies– whether or not I am traveling. I do not need to know the very second when my friends tweet or I get an “exclusive” sale or credit offer in my inbox.
With the “set-and-forget” security of remote backups, encrypted devices, and careful placement of valuable on my person while traveling, I am confident that nothing will get in the way of my experience abroad.
Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash