*February 2018*
Living out of only 2 suitcases for 9 months seems impossible, and I thought it was going to be a lot more difficult than it turned out to be. I’d say the most challenging and stressful part of it all was the actual packing before I even left. It took me 2 weeks and at least 10 different tries before I finally closed my suitcases and was off to the airport.
I had heard about different strategies for trying to fit as much as possible in a suitcase which is why it took me so many trial and errors. I experimented with folding my clothes normally and stacking them, I tried rolling my clothes up one by one, I tried rolling my clothes together, I tried putting all my shoes in one small suitcase, I tried moving my clothes around in different compartments and basically every combination of possibilities—I tried. Honestly, I couldn't tell you exactly the order and placement of everything that I packed but I do know that the rolling method didn't work for me. I ended up folding my clothes normally and stacking them, I think my shoes ended up going wherever I could squeeze them and I had to remove quite a bit of items before everything I needed could (barely) fit.
Somehow, neither of my suitcases went over the weight limit, and I was able to pack a lot more than I ended up needing. I think the key to living out of 2 suitcases for so long is to only pack items that you know you will get the most use out of. There was no need for those heals that could only pair with one dress, definitely could have gone without 4 pairs of sneakers, and 20 bathing suits was a little excessive. I don’t blame myself though because I had no idea what to expect to need over the course of 9 months, I mean who can really plan that far ahead?
Some of my good packing choices were items that could be paired with anything like nude and black flats and heals, neutral colored shirts, my jean jacket and of course my Birkenstocks. These are all items I can wear every single day. When I’m not off on the islands or getting lunch on my breaks I pretty much wear the same clothes all the time— sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I know you might be thinking-- "why would you be wearing that every day when you are in the Caribbean?" Well, I am actually inside for most of my days especially sea days. Being a performer, I am always getting in and out of costumes therefore everyone just wears comfy clothes to and from shifts since we have to change so frequently. It actually makes things more convenient for me because I don’t go through as many clothes each week (less laundry!).
So I definitely thought that I would be wearing a lot more clothes and would be needing tons of options like I do when I’m home but I actually wear the same clothes all the time. Honestly half of my shoes and clothes I’ve maybe touched once since being onboard. As long as I have my Nike joggers, my dad’s sweatshirt that goes past my knees and my Birkenstocks, that’s pretty much my every day look besides a few outfits for when I get off the ship or getting lunch on the deck.
I’ve actually gotten so used to this lifestyle that I’m already planning on giving away a good chunk of my closet at home when my contract is over. I definitely do not need half of the items in my closet at home and this experience is what helped me come to that realization. I’m sure I will be excited to have some different options but too many options is just a waste of space.
If I could go back to when I was packing my 2 suitcases and give myself some tips, my first tip would be to leave some extra space for future purchases. I have purchased quite the number of items since the day I arrived in Toronto. As I talked about it in my last post, I bought a whole lot of clothes in Toronto. I honestly did not realize that I would have that opportunity while I was there for 2 months. I ended up having to send a bag of clothes home with my boyfriend when he visited because I knew that not everything would be able to fit into 2 suitcases after that. I also didn't realize that we would have the privilege to receive packages on the ship. Little did I know that I would be doing a lot of online shopping during the 7 months onboard, which is why I am sending a whole bag of clothes home with my family when they visit in 2 weeks. It would have been a huge help to have heard all of this back in June.
Another tip that would have been helpful to know is the amount of times you actually will be in a bathing suit. I literally brought 20 bathing suits thinking that I would be swimming all the time (fair assumption being on a cruise ship in the Caribbean), but I usually end up exploring the islands rather than going to the beach. A huge privilege that us crew get compared to our guests-- is that we visit these islands so many times that we actually get the opportunity to see all parts of the islands— not only the beaches or the tourist areas. We kind of get our own vacation away from the ocean for a few hours once we get to land. Anyway, I would have been better off by bringing less than 10 bathing suits.
Now it’s almost time to start packing to go home and I just pray that everything fits and is under the weight limit once again. If I ever have another experience like this contract, I know I will pack a lot differently and more strategic than this time but, you live and you learn. There was really nothing I could have done to better prepare considering I had never been in a situation similar to this before so I have to give myself some credit.
Rachel xx
An actual image of the 2 suitcases I packed for 9 months!
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