Talking about places that I want to visit would be difficult as it will be a really really long list. Yepp. I can assure you that. So I just gonna talk about one specific place. Nah, more like one specific country that I really want to visit ever since I was in 3rd grade of elementary school. New Zealand.
I remember it very very well. You guys know the picture on the carton milk? Yea when I was a kid, it showed a picture of black and white cows eating grass on a really big and wide field. Yep. That one. At that time, there was a competition held by this dairy company uhm I dont remember which brand and the prize was to go to New Zealand. Mind you, at that time New Zealand was not very known in my country. At least to people that I know. I meant, come on, I was like what 9 years old so mostly people that I knew are 9??? Hahahah. But the adults did not know that as well for some reason. Or maybe they were just playing on me? Eh? Wut?
When I was a kid, most people (and kids) know USA (we basically only said America though hahaha even though America is a continent. Well, we were kids…), England (yes only England not the whole UK) umm what else… neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Singapore I guess. Well not much basically. So when we were talking about where you wanna go and I mentioned New Zealand, people were confused.
What is that?
Did you just make a random country out of your mouth?
That does not exist!
Well yea that happened. You can imagine my frustration trying to say that it’s real. But then when people asked me what’s in there, my answer was not the best either.
Cows.
Yes. That, my readers, was my answer. My sole answer on what’s in New Zealand. Great.
“What? Cows?“
“Yes, I want to see where milk comes from“
“But… you can do that here…“
“Yes but the cows are different! This one is black and white like in cartoon!I want to see those cows eating grass on a really big field“
Oh good Lord.
But yea, I did not get the prize to go to New Zealand and I havent been there until now. So there you go, another travel bucketlist of mine: seeing black and white cows eating grass on a big green field in New Zealand. (you can find my other travel bucketlist here which I have checked wooo!)
As you know now I have moved to Germany for my Gradschool. I thought maybe it’s good to share what I brought when I moved to Germany. When I was about to leave, I was really confused on what to bring, do I need to bring X or not, should I just buy this instead etc.
I never really like packing, well, unpacking is even more annoying for me hahaha. I usually just left things in my bag until couple of days (or weeks?) after I travel. I usually pack light as well, as I find bringing many stuffs as troublesome. Pain in the butt. So that’s why I prefer to travel with my backpack. But again, I couldnt really do that now, could I? So I started to research on what stuffs should I bring to Germany on the internet and asked couple of my friends who already moved to Germany.
And this is the list that I came up with:
Clothes, Shoes, Bags, Accessories
Indonesia’s climate is different with Germany as we only have dry and wet season. My flight was at the end of September so it was autumn in Germany. I didnt really bring many clothes but what I brought mostly for cold weather and I also packed a formal dress and high heels in case I got invited to formal events. I usually wear light and thin clothes, like tshirt and summer dress, since it is really hot and humid in Indonesia. I only brought a couple of them though because I thought I could just buy them in Germany later when the weather becomes warmer. I dont usually wear accessories as well so I only brought my watch, beanie and gloves.
So, this is the list of the things that I brought:
Clothes
Leggings (2)
Thermal leggings (2)
Turtle neck long sleeve shirt (3)
Thermal long sleeve shirts (2)
Jogger pants (because it is soooo comfy; 1)
Blouse (2)
3/4 sleeve t-shirt (1)
Tshirts (2-3)
Running shorts (2-3)
Formal dress (1)
Short skirts (1-2)
Shorts (1)
Jeans (2)
Jacket (2; one of them is for winter while the other is warm enough for early autumn and spring I guess)
Outer (3-4; I dont really remember though. But since I like to wear outer so I’m pretty sure I brought at least 3)
Summer dress (2)
Bathing suit (1)
Rain jacket (1)
Underwear (7 for bras and panties)
Sport bra (2)
Socks (7)
Tanktop (2-3)
Sweater 1
Shoes
Training shoes (1)
Flat shoes (1)
High heels (1)
High heels boots (1; I ended up buying another boots there because I find it tiring to wear heels daily hahah)
Bags
Backpack (1; to go to college so it should be big enough for my laptop)
Small backpack (1; my favourite bag for daytrips)
Hiking backpack (1; in case I want to travel)
Shoulder bag/sling bag (1; for daytrips as well if I wanna look a bit more feminine hahaha)
Foldable backpack (1)
Sling bag (1; I find it very useful when I travel to put my wallet and passport)
Accessories
Gloves (1)
Beanie (1)
Watch (1; I only brought my smart watch as I find it more practical)
Sunglasses (1)
Glasses (2)
Towel (2)
Electronics
I dont really use notebooks to write anymore now. I still use it but mostly I just use my iPad, again, because I find it more practical to save my notes, see my schedule, etc. It depends on how much you rely on gadgets really.
Phone (2; one is my work phone with my Indonesian number which my colleagues and most of my friends know so I just brought it with me. It could also be my backup phone in case the one that I use has some problems)
Laptop (2; again, for backup hahaha to be honest I dont really use the other one though)
Travel adapters (2)
iPad (1; I use it for reading, taking notes etc)
External hard drive (2; I divided work purposes storage and private storage. In case my colleagues need some of the data from work, I could send it to them so I just brought it along with me)
Portable battery pack (1; I dont really use it but I still brought it along just in case)
Charger
Wireless headphones (1)
Headset (2; I always forget to charge my headphones so I brought headset as well)
Important Documents
The important documents depend on what you need really. Since I am a student so what I need is my bachelor certificate, apart from my passport and VISA of course.
Original and translation of bachelor certificate and transcripts (I need them to re-register myself)
Legalised copy and copy of bachelor certificate and transcripts (10 of each)
Language certificate: IELTS (I brought the original and the copy)
Language certificate: German (I brought my latest Goethe Zertifikat and Kursteilnahmebestätigung or confirmation of course participant. I brought the original and the copy as well)
Passport and VISA (I also brought the copy)
Passport Photos (I basically brought a lot I lost count hahahah)
ATM cards and cash (not a document but I’ll just put it here hehe)
Medicine
If you have any prescription medication then you should bring it with you. I dont have any so I only bring some meds that I usually take when I have cold and heartburn.
Miscellaneous
Well, for me, my pillow is important hahahha so I brought my pillow from home hahha. So in Indonesia we have something called “guling” it’s basically a pillow but long. I have never found one whenever I traveled so i just brought it with me since I find it a bit hard to fall asleep if I dont hug my pillow hahahha. I also bring my face wash and some of my face creams from my dermatologist
I think how much and what you wanna bring depend on each person. There is no one size fits all in my opinion because everyone has their own style and needs. But again, I find recommendations on the internet and from other people really helpful when I was planning what to bring 😀 So I hope this could help you plan stuffs as well! Have fun packing! And also #stayathome guys and stay safe and healthy! 🙂
Solo traveling is sure fun! Though I know some people don’t like it and prefer to do it with friends/family. Which is perfectly fine! I have posted a post about solo traveling before (insert link here), do check it out if you are still thinking whether you should do it or not!
Every type of traveling, of course, has their own ups and downs. So what are the ups and downs for solo traveling? Oh yea, I’m talking about this based on my experience so some people might agree or have the same experience as me and some might don’t.
There is, somehow, this illusion of traveling solo being sooo dreamy
Whenever I tell people that I went to this or that place alone, their reaction always “wow how can you do that?” “Oh I always want to try it” etc etc. Some are somehow worried, some are finding this exciting. There is, somehow, this illusion of traveling solo being sooo dreamy. But, of course it’s not always full of ups right? It’s not always as sweet or dreamy as it sounds.
So let me tell you the truths about traveling alone…
It’s not because I want to do it all the time, but because I need to!
“I’m free next week” “But I’m not! How about this week? That would be cool” “But I have errands to do this week”
Sounds familiar? Face it guys. When you are going to travel with other people, for example your friend, you have to match your and your friend’s schedule or budget. And even your traveling style. Some people like to shop during traveling some dont, some like the city better and some dont. Right? For me, i find it hard to find someone who has the same style as me.
It’s not like I want to be alone guys, I just dont want to wait for someone to actually go and do something that I want. It feels better when you go to somewhere unfamiliar to you and you have a companion no? But again, do I want to wait for someone to travel and wait for God knows how long?
Bruno Mars Concert
But, it can be scary…
Of course it’s scary to be alone in a place that you are not familiar with. It can be intimidating to walk alone here and there in a new place, especially if we cant speak the language. You might think what if A what if B and so on. But hey! It’s okay! Just keep calm it’s mostly just you overthink things. I always try to keep calm and think things throughly and just go with it hehe. I just need to take my first step and the unfamiliarity will develop into sense of familiarity bit by bit
And also liberating at the same time!
To be honest guys, whenever I want to go somewhere alone i always have this insecure feeling. Just like what I said before, traveling solo can be scary. But right after I take my first step, i feel so proud of myself. Like, hey! See you can do it!
However, sometimes you feel like there’s no one to share your incredible experience
I walked for hours to Bondi Beach, Australia right after I arrived there. With only 30% phone battery and no apps to tell me which public transport should I take. The maps on my phone kept showing the wrong route so I had to walked for a long time. For me, it’s an unforgettable experience and a good lesson learnt as well. But hey, if there was someone with me during that time, we could share that experience together and laugh it when we remember the story, no? But because I was alone, I have no one to share it though I can tell other people the story it feels different.
But… It is soooo easy to plan everything (or not to plan anything!)
Well, you are free to plan anything you want! If you wanna visit certain place or landmark OR if you dont wanna visit it. It is all up to you! You wanna go where your feet is taking you? Consider it as done! See? It’s making everything simple to plan or not to plan, to go or not to go. Everything is all up to you 😀 You could go to wherever you want!
Though, you may, sometimes, worry about your safety or feel self-conscious
When I’m alone at the restaurant or even just strolling around alone, sometimes I get self-conscious and overthink things then get worried about my own safety. What if my wallet got stollen, what if this happen what if that happen. Oh so many what ifs guys. But again, sometimes it’s just your mind trying to mess you up hahaha. Just keep calm and stay vigilant 🙂
You could get to know yourself better and even train yourself when you are in trouble
For me, it’s easier to get to know myself better when I am alone. Because you get to know and to think about yourself more thoroughly without any intervention from other party. After traveling alone couple of times, I realize that I am rather clumsy and dont pay attention much to my personal belongings. Which is a dangerous thing no? I dropped my phone back in Australia (luckily the girls were kind enough to look for the owner phew), I lost my wallet back in Northern Ireland because I didnt pay attention to my bag (you could check my post on travel safety here) aaaand so on. Traveling solo also train me to stay calm when I am facing difficulties. I mean guys, I was basically alone there and barely know anyone except those that I just met hahaha
London, United Kingdom. Strolling around the city on my second week in the UK
Well, on the other hand, you could feel a bit lonely sometimes
When you’re traveling solo, it may make you feel lonely. Eating alone, strolling the city alone *all by myself playing in the background*
All byyyy myseeeellff, dont wanna be all by myseeeelf anymoreee
And sometimes, it’s hard to meet someone. No matter how hard you try somehow you just cant click with anyone somehow
But the truth is, you are never really alone
Yea it may be hard to meet someone sometimes, but you could always meet other people in other places no? Maybe you cant click with anyone right away, but you are never really alone 😀 I dont always make friends in every place that I have visited. If I dont make new friend in this place, then I could always make a new friend in other place (I’m just a happy go lucky kind of person I guess hahaha)
So, is solo traveling worth it? Of course it is! Leave all your fears and insecurities behind. Dont wait for someone if you wanna do something. Just trust yourself but always be mindful and careful! It will be worth it! You could try it once, it does not have to be abroad or somewhere far far away. Then see if you like it, if it’s not your style then of course it is okay too! Just like what I said in my previous post here, everyone has their own traveling style 😀
Kemmistri 