Packing and Preparation?

[IceFish]

I've got most of the paperwork, payments, and all that, squared away. The most important thing seems to be packing your suitcases right: one to ship to your prefecture upon arrival, and keeping the important items (suits, ties, shirts, etc...) in the suitcase you will take with you to the Tokyo conference/orientation. I keep hearing stories about people who start repacking everything in a panic the second they land. I even heard a story about one JET who made a mistake in this emergency packing session, and ended up going to the seminars in a shirt, tie, sweatpants, and sneakers... I'm guessing the story was exaggerated, but the description left a hilarious mental image, nevertheless...

[teabot]

Glad people are liking the links! I love Apartment Therapy, especially the DIY stuff.

I don't really understand power of attorney. Is that for someone to make decisions for me in case I'm unable? I just assumed my mom would do that, I suppose.

i love Apartment Therapy, too! i'm a current JET but will be going home for a bit soon, so i hope to sort through/get rid of some of the stuff i left at home so the links will be helpful. :]

i got a power of attorney (and made a will) just in case. yes, it allows the person you grant the power of attorney to make decisions for you or arrangements for you. usually, i think this is something that is like "if i go into a coma or am otherwise unable to speak for myself make decisions for me," or for people who are getting older and have worries about Alzheimer's/senility, but in our case, it allows our designated power of attorney who will remain in our home countries to do things for us because we're out of the country. they are legally allowed to act on our behalf with stuff like banking, medical services, and other things that rely on legalities. your mom can do some of things for you by default, but as you are no longer legally a minor, it's likely there are a lot of other things she may not legally be allowed to do for you without the express permissions that a power of attorney grants.

example: when i was states-side, there had been times where i was trying to do something with my bank but didn't have the knowledge/experience and asked my mom to talk with them on the phone. in those situations, i had to tell the bank representative over the phone that i gave permission for the representative to speak with my mom about my accounts/on my behalf. now, i'm in Japan, so i can't exactly just pass the phone over, should such a situation arise, she states that she is my power of attorney (and may need to submit documentation to the bank beforehand) and can get on with what needs to be taken care of. and of course, this extends to things beyond banking as well.

of course, IANAL, so this may depend on your particular situation. fortunately, my power of attorney hasn't had to use said power yet and i've been able to take care of everything on my own, but i think it's a good idea to have.

[MiraPira]

@mirapira - I understand much of what you're going through. Though I don't have a husband and children to worry about, I need to do all that sorting & selling in addition to a ton of work to finish school and graduate. Also - are you going without your family? I'm having a bit of anxiety about leaving people whom are important to me (actually, mostly my doggie), so I was wondering how others might be dealing with that.

As far as getting ready to go, unfortunately I have to wait until I graduate. But I have a couple of links from Apartment Therapy that you or anybody might want to take a look at:
How to pare down your stuff
How to sell everything you own

Edit:
@comedyrun - I'm in college, but I'm older than the traditional student, so I know what you mean about accumulated junk. Also, lovin your cat's name.

I may not be able to take my daughter as she is adult age, but still young enough that she is a dependent (collage student). Still waiting on whether she can get a dependent's visa or not or just be a frequent visitor. :/ My hubby is coming as is my 12 year old daughter. He will be coming back and forth quite a bit though. I will definitely miss my kitties and dogs too.

[aMandarinAlmond]

I recommend making listing and weekly goals for yourself!

Yes! Lists are your friend. With so much stuff to do, I would hardly remember it all without it written down. The added plus being able to be more thorough about pre-departure prep. Lists of things to do, or get or pack.. Doing what I can to reduce any anxiety about leaving loose ends!

[dtrue]

Does anyone have advice on luggage? I have large luggage but it doesn't collapse, so I'm thinking about getting something more like a duffle bag that can collapse since I'm assuming I will not have a ton of closet space.

[ChottoMonkey]

Does anyone have advice on luggage? I have large luggage but it doesn't collapse, so I'm thinking about getting something more like a duffle bag that can collapse since I'm assuming I will not have a ton of closet space.

My luggage does not break down either but when not in use it becomes extra storage in my apartment. Off season clothes...in the luggage...all the extra toothpaste/deodorant you packed...in the luggage....that bottle of emergency vodka...who am I kidding...ON THE COUNTER! But you get the idea...

[comedyrun]

I just laughed very hard at the concept of "Emergency Vodka." Thank you for that, ChottoMonkey!

[Sendai_Momiji]

Does anyone have advice on luggage? I have large luggage but it doesn't collapse, so I'm thinking about getting something more like a duffle bag that can collapse since I'm assuming I will not have a ton of closet space.

Does your luggage nest? I have three pieces of luggage that all fit inside each other. That way they take up far less space but I still have my three pieces. (Absolutely essential for moving internationally.)

As for my packing and prepping, I'm not really worrying about physical packing until I get my placement and find out where I am. The things I would need in Hokkaido are going to be vastly different should they pull a fast one on me and place me in Kyushu. But since you asked, here is my rudimentary to-do list...

1.) Schedule appointments to the OB/GYN, Dermo, Dentist and optometrist. (I haven't had health insurance for so long that I haven't really been to the docs since 2009. JET is the perfect excuse to make sure everything is all good to go. Especially the lady parts as they mutinied against me last time I lived in Japan. Should anyone need their lady parts opperated on I highly recommend the Keio Hospital in Sendai.)

2.) Sell my car (*sniff* Good bye Grey Lady!)

3.) Get important banking documents for Go Lloyds (should I chose to go with them.)

4.) Scan in all my "I will seriously do this work out/bake this cake/make this cute little crafty thing one day" articles.

5.) SELL ALL THE STUFFS. (Oh. My. God. Where did all of this crap come from???)

I don't know how other people are going to do this but I've basically set myself a limit of how many boxes I'm shipping over seas to myself. I've set it at two right now but I might raise it up another box or so in case I really cannot fit everything in that I want to take with me.

I'm also thinking of getting an address forwarding service so that my parents won't have to keep sending me stuff but I'll have to price all that to make sure it's not going to totally wreck my budget.

[Kirari]

Does anyone have advice on luggage? I have large luggage but it doesn't collapse, so I'm thinking about getting something more like a duffle bag that can collapse since I'm assuming I will not have a ton of closet space.

I'm getting these Adventure Duffle bags from LL Bean that were recommended by a JET (either in this or the ITIL forum). They come in all different sizes, but for the two checked bags we get, I'm getting the large size. They are 58 total inches each, and airline maximums are usually 62, so they come pretty darn close. They weigh only 2 lbs 4 oz, so that leaves a lotta pounds left over for my stuff. They have excellent reviews and seem to be extremely durable, plus once we're done traveling, they can either be flattened or used for storage. Plus, shipping and monogramming is free:http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63913?feat=63912-ppodxs&dds=y They have ones with wheels too. I know they have luggage carriers we can use, but we might need to carry them when we get to our apartments, so I'm getting one of each.

[merkypie]

I'm two larger rollers, a travel "carry on" roller, and a backpack for my laptop and personal goods/electronics. The travel carry on is perfect and convienent since it'll hold all my Tokyo Orientation clothes and materials while the two suitcases can just be shipped back to my apartment.

I could probably get away with attaching my laptop case to my roller and then have three bags (Carry on roller with attached bag plus backpack), which is totally doable. Work the system, folks!

If you're gonna use a duffle, make sure the duffle is hardcore and secure. I used to work in the bagroom as a ramp agent for a domestic airline, and I can't tell you how many duffle bags have gotten caught up in the belts and carousels, practically destroying the bag. One time a duffle bag was ripped open cause a strap got caught up in the belt that lead to curbside check in.

[Kirari]

I'm two larger rollers, a travel "carry on" roller, and a backpack for my laptop and personal goods/electronics. The travel carry on is perfect and convienent since it'll hold all my Tokyo Orientation clothes and materials while the two suitcases can just be shipped back to my apartment.

I could probably get away with attaching my laptop case to my roller and then have three bags (Carry on roller with attached bag plus backpack), which is totally doable. Work the system, folks!

If you're gonna use a duffle, make sure the duffle is hardcore and secure. I used to work in the bagroom as a ramp agent for a domestic airline, and I can't tell you how many duffle bags have gotten caught up in the belts and carousels, practically destroying the bag. One time a duffle bag was ripped open cause a strap got caught up in the belt that lead to curbside check in.

Great idea about the travel carry on roller! Leads me to a question: won't our suits get wrinkled all smushed up like that? I once tried to iron mine (didn't have time between my first and second interviews for AEON to take it to a dry cleaners), and I couldn't find a setting that was hot enough to work, yet cool enough not to damage the fabric (read: I have a little inconspicuous area on mine where the polyester sort of ...melted. And it wasn't even a cheap suit!). I know we'll have access to irons there - has anyone tried de-wrinkling theirs with an iron's steam function?

Oh, and good advice about the duffle. Cost is a factor for me, and these LL Bean duffles have gotten much, much better durability reviews than rolling suitcases I've shopped in the same price range, so I think I'm going to take the risk. Unless I hear any compelling evidence against them before I buy, that is.

[Kirari]

As for my packing and prepping, I'm not really worrying about physical packing until I get my placement and find out where I am. The things I would need in Hokkaido are going to be vastly different should they pull a fast one on me and place me in Kyushu. But since you asked, here is my rudimentary to-do list...

1.) Schedule appointments to the OB/GYN, Dermo, Dentist and optometrist. (I haven't had health insurance for so long that I haven't really been to the docs since 2009. JET is the perfect excuse to make sure everything is all good to go. Especially the lady parts as they mutinied against me last time I lived in Japan. Should anyone need their lady parts opperated on I highly recommend the Keio Hospital in Sendai.)

2.) Sell my car (*sniff* Good bye Grey Lady!)

3.) Get important banking documents for Go Lloyds (should I chose to go with them.)

4.) Scan in all my "I will seriously do this work out/bake this cake/make this cute little crafty thing one day" articles.

5.) SELL ALL THE STUFFS. (Oh. My. God. Where did all of this crap come from???)

I don't know how other people are going to do this but I've basically set myself a limit of how many boxes I'm shipping over seas to myself. I've set it at two right now but I might raise it up another box or so in case I really cannot fit everything in that I want to take with me.

I'm also thinking of getting an address forwarding service so that my parents won't have to keep sending me stuff but I'll have to price all that to make sure it's not going to totally wreck my budget.

I can't even think about starting this until I finish school (matter of fact, should be working on my paper now). But I have to sell my car, too. (*sniff* Good-bye, nii-san! Yeah, it's a Nissan) Luckily, it's been paid off for a couple of years now, so anything I get for it - hoping for at least $1000 - is going to be helpful.

Two boxes to ship is probably a good goal, huh? I don't think we'll have space in our apartments for much more. I know people recommend against this, but there are certain books I just have to have with me, and I can't get them on my Nook. That's the only thing I've done so far, actually - partially filling a box labeled "Books for Japan." I'm going to try to edit them down as much as possible, though.

[bananathursdays]

Even though I still live at home and don't have to worry about selling all the stuff I don't take with me to Japan, I still have to move almost everything out of my room. My parents are planning on knocking out the wall between their room and mine to make their room bigger. It's like they're excited to see me leave so they can have a bigger bedroom LOL. Gotta move all my extra stuff to the attic. Lots of cleaning!
As far as an exact checklist goes, here are the things I have so far:

1) Dentist appointment. I haven't been in a couple of years, so a good cleaning is long overdue.
2) Hair appointment. Going to get my hair cut as short as I can stand so I won't have to worry about finding a place to get it cut in Japan. Also, I know it will be hot when we arrive in Tokyo, so less hair, the better, probably.
3) General Doctor check-up/get vaccinations. I haven't gotten shots since elementary school, so I figure it wouldn't hurt to at least get the basic Hep A and B, tetentus, etc.
4) Once I get my placement, sort through clothes and find out if I need to buy anything I don't already have. Make sure I enough outfits suitable for work.
5) Go through room with post-its. Yellow post-its for things I want to send to Japan, Green post-its for things I want to store away in the attic, etc etc...
6) Make a packing list for each seperate suitcase, so I know for sure that I have what I need to the suitcase that I keep with me for Tokyo orientation.

Kirari - I love your car's name hahaha

[gaspar]

I'm getting these Adventure Duffle bags from LL Bean that were recommended by a JET (either in this or the ITIL forum). They come in all different sizes, but for the two checked bags we get, I'm getting the large size. They are 58 total inches each, and airline maximums are usually 62, so they come pretty darn close. They weigh only 2 lbs 4 oz, so that leaves a lotta pounds left over for my stuff. They have excellent reviews and seem to be extremely durable, plus once we're done traveling, they can either be flattened or used for storage. Plus, shipping and monogramming is free:http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63913?feat=63912-ppodxs&dds=y They have ones with wheels too. I know they have luggage carriers we can use, but we might need to carry them when we get to our apartments, so I'm getting one of each.

Has anyone thought of trying the JET move using those giant military-type duffle bags? Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/3497-OLIVE-DRAB-CANVAS-DUFFLE/dp/B00029R84U/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=IB4KCDKTMKE27&colid=1QYMPJTNKSUHF
A friend of mine is in the Guard and when he had to go off to basic or drill or something, he stayed with us for a while. I watched him pack his duffle and it was CRAZY how much stuff he was able to carry in just one! And they're made to be abused...thick material, solid handles / straps, etc.

I was originally thinking about getting one of those nesting luggage sets (I have one but it's old and needs to be replaced), but I'm starting to think I might just splurge and get a nice carry-on size suitcase and a couple of those military duffles to use as checked luggage. I should be able to stuff them with pretty much all of the clothing, shoes and non-breakable things that I am moving to Japan and haul as much as necessary over without sacrificing the additional weight of 2 large suitcases (as Kirari said). Then I could use them in my new home either for dirty clothes hamper type bags, or find some other use, or they'll just compress and fold up and store away without taking up much space. I know that space will be at a premium in my new Japanese home and finding a spot for a GIANT suitcase, even with others nested inside, might prove difficult.

I'm not sure what I'll end up doing, but I'm giving this some serious consideration.

[merkypie]

Great idea about the travel carry on roller! Leads me to a question: won't our suits get wrinkled all smushed up like that? I once tried to iron mine (didn't have time between my first and second interviews for AEON to take it to a dry cleaners), and I couldn't find a setting that was hot enough to work, yet cool enough not to damage the fabric (read: I have a little inconspicuous area on mine where the polyester sort of ...melted. And it wasn't even a cheap suit!). I know we'll have access to irons there - has anyone tried de-wrinkling theirs with an iron's steam function?

A 22'' roller should be large enough for your suits if you fold and pack them certain way. They'll be slightly wrinkled, but as long as you press them before you put them in the suit case, they shouldn't come out of that suitcase a wrinkled mess. Don't ever iron a suit though XD Steam press that stuff.

Has anyone thought of trying the JET move using those giant military-type duffle bags? Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/3497-OLIVE-DRAB-CANVAS-DUFFLE/dp/B00029R84U/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=IB4KCDKTMKE27&colid=1QYMPJTNKSUHF
A friend of mine is in the Guard and when he had to go off to basic or drill or something, he stayed with us for a while. I watched him pack his duffle and it was CRAZY how much stuff he was able to carry in just one! And they're made to be abused...thick material, solid handles / straps, etc.

I was originally thinking about getting one of those nesting luggage sets (I have one but it's old and needs to be replaced), but I'm starting to think I might just splurge and get a nice carry-on size suitcase and a couple of those military duffles to use as checked luggage. I should be able to stuff them with pretty much all of the clothing, shoes and non-breakable things that I am moving to Japan and haul as much as necessary over without sacrificing the additional weight of 2 large suitcases (as Kirari said). Then I could use them in my new home either for dirty clothes hamper type bags, or find some other use, or they'll just compress and fold up and store away without taking up much space. I know that space will be at a premium in my new Japanese home and finding a spot for a GIANT suitcase, even with others nested inside, might prove difficult.

I'm not sure what I'll end up doing, but I'm giving this some serious consideration.

I considered going that route with one of my checked in bags but I'm worried about the over weight fees plus the fees of getting the bags shipped to my place from Narita. I'm checking in an extra piece of luggage (my tenor sax, the case is too big to be a carry on), so I'm already going to spend a pretty penny to get that instrument to travel with me. Also, I plan on taking my PS3 and DVD player with me to Japan (No internet for at least a month? Not being paid for at least a month? I need to entertain myself), so I fear that those military grade bags will crush all my fragile things (knowing how people treat bags in the bagroom...).