Travel List

For my soon-to-travel friends, especially those traveling solo like I did, I'm writing this blog to help aid in packing for 2 weeks abroad.  You can find many packing lists online, but here is a glimpse at mine.

My daughter plus our luggage

First of all, I traveled LIGHT because I was going alone!  I packed 1 large rolling duffel bag and it weighed 45 pounds.  I also had 1 large backpack as my carry-on.  My carry-on was heavy and bulky but it was never weighed at all at check-in as some travelers have asked about.  While it was too big to fit under the seat in front of me, it did fit just fine in the overhead bins, even on the small planes I flew in the US.  You can see my luggage in the picture to the right with my sweet baby girl as we left Xi'an and headed to Guangzhou.

For summer travel (May 24-June 7), I packed the following for clothes for me:

• 1 pair of jeans (to wear on the airplanes)
• 6-7 short sleeved shirts (cotton and cotton blends)
• 4-5 pair capris
• 1 skirt
• 1 dress
• 1 swimming suit
• 2 pair pajamas
• 2 bras
• 6-7 pair underwear
• 2 pair comfy shorts for hanging around the hotel room.  Think of something that's comfortable like running shorts or yoga pants.
• 1 pair of heels (for the dress and skirt)
• 1 pair of nice sandals (for daily wear)
• 1 pair of TOMS (for the airports)

** I would not have packed differently for myself other than maybe bringing 1 extra bra because it is so hot in China in the summer and I would wear 1 one day and then come back after our outings and rinse it out in the sink, leaving only 1 spare for the next day.  I'd suggest 3 so that they have ample time to dry if you're doing laundry in the hotel bathroom like I did.  I'm glad I brought a skirt and dress for Adoption Day and the Consulate Appointment.  I wanted to put my best foot forward and look my best for formal appointments.  I was casual on Gotcha Day because I knew we'd be running around town.

I packed the following clothes for my daughter (age 22 months and measurements unknown at time of travel):

• 5-6 summer outfits in size 18 months
• 5-6 summer outfits in size 24 months/2T
• 1 dress for the Consulate Appointment (I opted for pink and not red, white and blue out of respect for China, but red, white and blue didn't seem to be an issue for those who were dressed that way)
• 1 dress for homecoming day (that's where I went red, white and blue)
• 1 sweater
• 1 pair denim capris
• 1 pair cotton leggings (capri length)
• 1 swim suit
• 1/2 box Walmart (Parent's Choice) diapers in size 3
• 1 package Target (Up and Up) baby wipes
• 12 swim diapers (size small)
• 1 pair lightweight, footie-style pajamas in size 18 months
• 1 pair lightweight, footie-style pajamas in size 24 months
• 1 pair of Bobux soft soled slippers/moccasins (size 18-24 months) 

** I wish I would have brought at least 1 more long sleeved, lightweight sweater or jacket and capris/leggings.  It sounds crazy, but remember that they dress their kids in layers in China.  My girl was in Northern China as it was and came to me in wool blend pants and a thick red hoodie with a t-shirt underneath on Gotcha Day.  All that in 80 degree heat!  This is normal.  In the Southern provinces, you might be able to get away with no long sleeved options and long pants, but in the Northern provinces, you may get comments about your child not being dressed properly.  Remember that the kids are used to this!  You can strip them down at the hotel (but beware of that too because they are not used to A/C and will easily get chilled).  Think to yourself, "When in China..."  I didn't have a clue what size shoes to pack, so the moccasins from Target were perfect until we could get home and buy shoes that fit her (the ones she wore from the orphanage were sadly too small for her feet).  But for the record, L wears a size 5 toddler shoe if you want to pack shoes for your 18 month old.  I also could have brought size 4 diapers, but she never leaked through her size 3's.  I didn't end up using her homecoming dress because she fell asleep on that final 3 hour flight home and I had to wake her up to deplane and she wasn't exactly thrilled with me.  I didn't need the hassle and I just wanted to run to my husband and boys!

Toddler Gear/Toys:

• 1 blanket
• 1 "lovie" blanket/toy (you know, the snuggly 12" blanket with a stuffed animal toy sewn in the center)
• 1 board book
• 1 bottle bubbles
• 1 beach ball
• 1 small stuffed animal
• 2 foam animal masks
• 3 pair of bead necklaces
• 2-3 bath toys
• 2 bottles with drop-ins and different style nipples
• 1 sippy cup with soft lip
• 1 reusable water bottle (I used it more than she did, especially filling it with water at the drinking fountains at US airports; it was also good as a bath toy)
• Toddler toothpaste & tooth brush
• Bibs (wished I had brought disposable)
• Head-to-Toe Baby Wash in a travel sized bottle
• Baby lotion in a travel sized bottle
• Small tube Aquafors cream (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Large sunscreen (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Child bug spray (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Children's Tylenol (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Hair bows/headbands
• Mobi wrap

**My sweet girl did not like her blanket, her lovie (still doesn't like that thing) and her stuffed animal.  I've learned that many orphanages don't let kids play with stuffed animals because they carry germs and are a hassle to wash often.  Totally understandable!  You can probably avoid sending those in a care package or bringing them to China and maybe wait for home.  She's starting to like them now, but not much.  The best things I brought were the bubbles, the beach ball, bath toys and the foam animal masks that I found in the dollar aisle at Target.  She still LOVES those things!

Snacks for Toddler and Mom:

• 7 pouches fruit/veggie blends (like apple sauce pouches - you see them now at the supermarkets near the produce aisle and baby aisles)
• Toddler snacks (I brought some rice crackers that a friend gave me)
• 1 box Cheerios (brought just the bag, left the box at home)
• 1 box Goldfish (just brought the bag, left the box at home)
• 1 jar peanut butter (for me -- too worried about allergies to give it to L)
• 2 boxes granola bars
• 6 small boxes of raisins
• 5 pouches of powered Pedialyte

** I could have brought twice as much snacks, with the exception of the peanut butter.  Let's face it, I love Goldfish and I shared those with her.  We made the Cheerios work, so if your suitcase is overflowing, take 1 bag out and go with 1 and make due.  

My gear:

• Travel documents as suggested by my agency (I did NOT travel with my entire dossier)
• 1 passport/credentials holder (mine was the waistband kind and wasn't easy to use with a toddler in a wrap or on my hip - maybe an around-the-neck style would have been better?)
• Gifts (if you want to know what I brought for the officials, just ask)
• Cell phone & charger
• iPad & charger (update your iPad before you leave the US)
• Camera & charger & USB cable & iPhoto device
• Apple Airport Express (configure this before you leave the US)
• Outlet converters (didn't need these and my hotels said they had some at the front desk if guests needed them)
• Plastic forks, knives, spoons
• Plastic ziplock bags (gallon and quart size)
• Small dish detergent
• 4-5 Tide laundry detergent travel pouches (found in the travel aisle at Walmart near the toiletries)
• Soap, shampoo & conditioner in travel sized bottles (hotels will have these, so you can avoid these if you're not picky about having your own brand)
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss (hotels will have these too in case you forget yours)
• Deodorant
• Ibuprofin (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Benedryl (adult formula)
• Pepto Bismol tablets (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Cipro prescription from the travel clinic (I took only 1 once as a just in case measure when my stomach was off, but never took it again because I felt great)
• Band-aids & Neosporin (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Scissors (I just opted for my cheap haircutting scissors since they are small)
• Nail trimmer & files (didn't use but glad I brought)
• Razor
• Make-up
• Hair brush, rubber bands, barrettes
• Anti-bacterial wipes
• Hand sanitizer (I brought 4-5 small bottles but only used 1 - the wipes were used constantly!)
• 6 mini packages of tissues
• Keep in mind Tampax/feminine products (I knew I wouldn't be needing any but I hear they are expensive or hard to find in China)

L in the stroller I bought in GZ

I'm sure there's more that I brought.  If I think of anything else, I'll update the list.  I basically wanted to be sure I could carry everything on my own.  I DID NOT buy souvenirs in China, by reason of my husband's job loss.  If I had, I would have certainly needed an extra small suitcase.  I did buy a stroller in China.  It was only $28 or 179 yuan.  I really liked it and more importantly, so did my daughter!  I really felt this was a necessity for all the airport changes on our return flights.  Best money I spent in China and we still use it here at home (because ours is in a storage unit with the rest of our stuff).  

I did laundry every 2 or 3 days in the hotel bathtub.  I used just a teaspoon or two of the Tide each time and it worked great.  My hotel in Xi'an had a clothesline above the tub.  The China Hotel in GZ did not, but we made it work.  Jeans and L's sweater took 2 days to dry.  Yes, I did have to break out the hotel iron to get things to dry in time for packing or wearing.  Most everything else dried in 24 hours.  If your room does not have an iron, call the front desk and they'll get you one.  

Both of my hotels offered hair driers in the guest rooms.  Check online and see if your hotel offers them before you pack yours.  It was nice to not have to lug mine or pick up a travel-sized one.

Doing laundry in my Xi'an hotel

Items I WISH I would have brought!

• Children's Dramamine (for flights)
• Children's Benedryl (for flights, but only if necessary)
• DumDum's Lollipops (for I did buy a couple packages of suckers at a convenience store in Guangzhou and L loved them on the flights home)
• Crystal Light/Lemonade (something refreshing for me on those hot China summer days!) 
• Safety pins (for pinning shorts/pants that were too big on L's waist)

Leave me a comment and ask me any travel questions you may have.  If you're traveling alone, you CAN do it!  It will be hard at times, but not as hard as you think.  I'm happy to offer any travel advice if you have questions or concerns!  Safe travels!!!