Grammar Guide

The answer was unanimous: Take less with you. The overpacking impulse is hard to resist. The solution is to set what I call a БЂњsettling fund.БЂ«Rather than pack for all contingencies, I bring the absolute minimum and allocate $100БЂ“300 for purchasing things after I arrive and as I travel. I no longer take toiletries or more than a weekБЂ™s worth of clothing. ItБЂ™s a blast. Finding shaving cream or a dress shirt overseas can produce an adventure in and of itself. Pack as if you were coming back in one week. Here are the bare essentials, listed in order of importance: One week of clothing appropriate to the season, including one semiformal shirt and pair of pants or skirt for customs. Think T-shirts, one pair of shorts, and a multipurpose pair of jeans. Backup photocopies or scanned copies of all important documents: health insurance, passport/visa, credit cards, debit cards, etc. Debit cards, credit cards, and $200 worth of small bills in local currency (travelerБЂ™s checks are not accepted in most places and are a hassle) Small cable bike lock for securing luggage while in transit or in hostels; a small padlock for lockers if needed Electronic dictionaries for target languages (book versions are too slow to be of use in conversation) and small grammar guides or texts One broad-strokes travel guide ThatБЂ™s it.73 To laptop or not to laptop? Unless you are a writer, I vote no ...»