{"id":128874,"date":"2019-02-12T14:14:39","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T22:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=128874"},"modified":"2019-02-12T15:58:28","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T23:58:28","slug":"what-should-i-pack-before-going-on-a-trip-or-living-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/12\/what-should-i-pack-before-going-on-a-trip-or-living-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"What Should I Pack before Going on a Trip or Living Abroad?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m leaving with Cindy to Mexico City, planning on living there for a month. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s goes on in my head before my trip? This is an insight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Moving to Mexico City for a Month: What&#039;s in My Bag\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C7BF5IeDdFU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Traveling vs living abroad <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-markdown\"><p>Living abroad is quite different from traveling.<\/p>\n<p>Usually travels are constrained to a few days, to perhaps 2 weeks maximum. In Mexico City, we are renting an Airbnb apartment for a month. Thus, it is almost like living in America \u00e2\u20ac\u201d semi-settled, but in a foreign country.<\/p>\n<h2>What to pack?<\/h2>\n<p>This is always the tricky thing:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>What should I pack?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Or perhaps more importantly:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>What <em>shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/em> I pack?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It is a bit tricky because from Mexico City, we are flying into the (cold) East Coast. Thus our bag will have to accommodate both warm weather and cold weather clothes.<\/p>\n<p>But generally speaking:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>When in doubt, pack less.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Why pack less?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I treat it like a fun game: pack less to see what \u00e2\u20ac\u0153simulated poverty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d looks like. Traveling is more fun, challenging, and interesting with less equipment, tools, and stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course I&#8217;m still a sucker and still sucker-prone to overpacking stuff. Generally speaking, packing light is beneficial because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Fewer headaches and less stress<\/strong>: Fewer chargers to pack, less hassles at airport, and less strain on your neck and back when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in-transit or traveling around. <\/li><li><strong>The mental lightness of having fewer possessions<\/strong>: You recognize you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need much physical stuff to live happily and productively. When you return back home you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re gonna have a bunch of stuff anyways \u00e2\u20ac\u201d experiment traveling or living abroad with less. <\/li><li><strong>You can always buy it there<\/strong>: If you really need anything when traveling or abroad, you can buy it there. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let fear cause you to overpack.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tools <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is in my bag:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Laptop: <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/26\/turbo-creation-why-a-maxed-out-macbook-laptop-is-the-best-investment-you-can-make-for-photography-entrepreneurship\/\">13\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 MacBook Pro<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/07\/review-of-the-ipad-pro-10-5-inch-camera-for-photography\/\">iPad Pro 10.5\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/a><\/li><li>Digital cameras: <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/06\/panasonic-lumix-g9-pro-leica-14mm-f-1-4-lens-review-for-street-photography\/\">Lumix G9, Leica 12mm f1.4<\/a> lens, Rode video microphone and RICOH GR II<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/24\/why-the-gopro-fusion-virtual-reality-augmented-reality-and-360-is-the-future-of-photography\/\">GoPro Fusion<\/a> <\/li><li>Shirt: Merino wool black t shirt 2x (Outlier.nyc)<\/li><li>Socks: Merino wool socks 2x (outlier.nyc)<\/li><li>Pants: Black jeans and black Merino wool leggings paired with black gym shorts <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Mexico City? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think Mexico City is one of the most underrated places to travel to or live. Reasons I love Mexico City:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Culture: Friendly folks<\/li><li>Spanish: I can speak Spanish semi fluently (second language in high school). <\/li><li>Uber: You can Uber anywhere in the city for around $2 USD or less.<\/li><li>Low cost of living: month rent for Airbnb only $500 USD. <\/li><li>Ease of travel: Los Angeles to Mexico City is direct and relatively fast. <\/li><li>Food: Best food in the world (Street food and fancy restaurants) <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cindy and I went for our honeymoon, and currently Mexico City and Saigon are my two favorite places to live in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Living nomadically to be more creatively productive <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For myself, living <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/21\/how-to-become-a-digital-nomad\/\">nomadically<\/a> is beneficial because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I get more and better creative ideas <\/li><li>Fewer distractions, thus more creative output <\/li><li>Less stress: Fewer possessions, lower cost of living. More convenience \u00e2\u20ac\u201d eating out, not having to really cook or clean much. Taking Uber or taxi everywhere instead of having to drive myself.<\/li><li>More photo opportunities <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And going on trips and traveling is useful to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153shake things up a bit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I feel this anti-static way of living is more fun, interesting, and enjoyable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will keep you updated <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1283\" data-attachment-id=\"103987\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/12\/street-photography-travel-tips\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-1.jpg?fit=2338%2C1500&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2338,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"airplane travel icon eric kim annette kim 1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1283&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-1-2000x1283.jpg?resize=2000%2C1283\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-103987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-1.jpg?resize=2000%2C1283&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-1.jpg?resize=1500%2C962&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-1.jpg?resize=768%2C493&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/airplane-travel-icon-eric-kim-annette-kim-1-1.jpg?resize=830%2C533&amp;ssl=1 830w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adventure awaits. Will keep you posted with everything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been to Mexico City yet, definitely recommend it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ERIC<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/travel\/\">More travel tips &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m leaving with Cindy to Mexico City, planning on living there for a month. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s goes on in my head before my trip? This is an insight:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":128906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/eric-kim-laptop.png?fit=2476%2C1478&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128874"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128905,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128874\/revisions\/128905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}