How I prepared for the move to the US, Chicago.
Just the essentials..
There is a lot I could say about moving to the US, however today I want to focus on the essentials I brought with me to make the journey, and my first few days as comfortable as possible. When I left the UK I left behind my boyfriend, friends, family, and home, all of which is pretty daunting. I still don't think it has hit home that I will be here for almost a year on my own.
This is why I focused on what was important to me and to pack items that were going to make the experience as easy as possible. There is of course all of the must-haves, money, and tech to make sure you can get by but also having the things that just make you happy.
Let’s talk logistics first. I honestly thought that my phone was not going to work, and by work, I mean charge me an arm and a leg to send a text. So I was ready to not talk to anyone until I had a solid WI-FI connection, i.e. the apartment. But I was pleasantly surprised when EE sent me a text to say I can use my plan here for no extra cost. Although I am sure this won't last the nine months, it's worth checking for your next holiday! This instantly made me relax a bit more as I knew could text home to say I'd arrived.
Next is money. I'm getting paid into my UK account so it is critical to have a way of accessing money without being charged for transfers and withdrawals. Thankfully there are several great accounts, of which I have a Monzo, that doesn't charge you using it abroad! I made sure I had money in the account but also changed up some cash for US dollars to be on the safe side. I haven't had to use the cash as you can pay by card everywhere here, but it has been handy to use to tip!
Then of course I had my visa, passport, and an international driving license in the pocket but I won't bore you of the details in this post. My most important things were those that made me feel that little bit happier on the flight and my first night.
They were:
Headphones, earplugs, eye mask & book - All flying essentials. Earplugs, as I found out are also Chicago essential as the L train might be louder than expected.
Chicago Travel guide - Light reading on the plane to get excited and also to just feel more prepared. My biggest concern is tipping etiquette as there of course is no language barrier... yet. I haven't done many touristy things, mostly as I have been super busy and tired, but I have a few things on my list.
Tisserand Aromatherapy Oils - This is something I'm loving at the moment. You roll the oil onto your pressure points. I can't say it works but I like the routine and smell, especially at night before going to bed.
Pens/Notebook - To jot down ideas, mostly for this blog.
My travel bags - Perfect for organising and making sure you can have things to hand without having to go through all of your luggage. I have a set from Amazon, super cheap. I have also since brought travel cubes which are also super handy for organising bigger items.
Face mask, candle, and nail polish - Something to do on the first night. It helped me to relax and get ready to work the day after I landed.
Cards - I have a lot of amazing friends and family who are all cheering me on. I wanted to feel close to them and now have all the cards sent to me before I left to set up in the living room of my apartment. A daily reminder of how lucky I am and motivation for when I need it, which I am sure I will.
I hope that's just a little insight into how I prepped from the trip, eventually I will go into more detail about the move but want to keep the post fairly short so will do this in chunks over the next couple of months.
Next week I'm going to write about what I have been up to in Chicago so far, what I like about it and maybe what I don't.... Here are some links to the products above:
- Travel Bags: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BXT-Organizer-Waterproof-Drawstring-Organisers/dp/B010RX2GHO/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1537105703&sr=8-19&keywords=travel+organiser+drawstring+bags
- Tisserand oils: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Survival-Containing-Stress-Dreams/dp/B00347M07W/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?s=luggage&ie=UTF8&qid=1537105890&sr=8-1&keywords=tisserand+oils
-LUSH, zero packaging: https://uk.lush.com/products/packaging-free
