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I’ve talked about packing lists for traveling to China before (not to mention traveling with that other kind of baggage). But I was never THIS concise: Here’s an illustrated guide for getting everything in one bag, from the aptly named “onebag.com.”
That’s art, that is.
In days gone by, travelers from this hemisphere to that were slightly more adventuresome – and it’s not just Eastern Europeans and Romans who (may have) made the trip. If you’ve got Irish roots, you might be fascinated by the apparent presence of Celtic mummies in China.
It’s interesting that so many of these European travelers wound up so far from any shipping lanes, and so close to the most landlocked place on Earth.
Back then, travelers would have to pack for any eventuality, from bandits to blizzards. But nowadays, for the purposes of adoption travel, you’re heading for a major metropolis – likely to be more modern, in some ways, than anything you’ve seen back home*. Look at this breathtaking view of Shanghai by night. It even looks like the future, doesn’t it?
(*Wait until you see how well the cell phone systems work.)
This seems to be the most important packing advice there is. You’re going far away to a place where people speak and act differently. But even if you’re heading out to the provinces to meet that small, fierce individual who’s joining your family, you’re almost always going to the city first – it doesn’t really matter if it’s Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Nanchang, or Chongqing. You should *pack* like you’re going to Shanghai.
See all those lights? One of them’s bound to belong to a Western-style grocery store. (And here’s a well-kept secret: Chinese Chips Ahoy! cookies taste better than the ones in the Piggly Wiggly. I think it’s because they use sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.) Another one is a place that sells designer clothes cheap. And another one – or two, or 50 – belong to department stores. Familiar places, with familiar things in them. Pack wisely, but pack for Shanghai!
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