Packing...Ready. Set. Go!

So the day I would set off to Zurich, Switzerland was finally approaching and I was suddenly faced with the burning question - "How on Earth does one pack for a year?!" The longest I had ever lived away from home was for three months and I remember I had found packing to be quite a challenge, so this was going to be hard.

On one hand, I needed to have adequate clothing for both summer and winter (and a very cold winter indeed) and on the other hand my luggage allowance was only a large suitcase and a hand luggage, so some big compromises had to be made. 

Initially, the vast majority of things I wanted to take didn't fit into my luggage and I'm pretty sure anyone who has gone abroad for an extended period of time or is planning on doing so has already, or will experience a similar dilemma. In the end I settled on the following items:

Clothing:

• 10 t-shirts (many of them neutral so as to be able to wear them under other clothing)
• 1 polo shirt
• 2 pairs of jeans for every day use
• 1 nice pair of jeans for evenings
• 1 pair of hiking pants
• 2 pairs of shorts (one for every day wear)
• 1 swimsuit
• 2 belts
• 1 pair of pajamas 

• 5 shirts
• 6 long-sleeved tops
• 2 cardigans
• 3 hoodies
• 4 pullovers
• 2 scarves
• 2 beanies (inc. my Amsterdam beanie!)
• 1 good pair of gloves

• 2 pairs of shoes one for every day use and evening 
• 1 pair of flip flops
• 1 pair of hiking boots
• 1 wind-resistant jacket
• 1 thick jacket

• An adequate amount of underwear including 2 thermal vests and 3 pairs of thick socks

Toiletries:

• Assorted medicinal items (panadols, strepsils, hydrating salts, bandages)
• Deodorant and perfume
• Face wash
• Soap and shampoo
• Toothbrush
• Thermometer
• Tissues

Electronics:

• Camera
• Mobile phone
• Headphones
• MP3 player
• 2 external hard disk drives
• Torch
• LAN cable
• USB cables
• Laptop
• Respective chargers
• Beard trimmer

Other:

• Sleeping bag and pillow
• Identity card
• Passport 
• European Health Insurance Card
• Swiss Francs and Euros
• Credit card
• European Youth Card
• Swiss Knife
• Pocket cutlery
• Backpack
• Watch
• Maltese flag (you never know when it might come in handy!)

Main luggage (max allowance) with Air Malta: 20 kg
Hand luggage (max allowance) with Air Malta: 10 kg

Every individual will naturally have his or her own priorities and preferences but I have chosen to list the things I took with me in case you are also planning to live abroad for quite some time and are at a loss as to what to take with you. Switzerland is also famous for its great hiking trails and I intend to take full advantage during my stay here (as you can probably tell from some of the items I took). I also intend to buy a good rucksack during my stay here as it was not possible for me to carry up my 80 Ltr rucksack from home. Luckily towels were going to be provided at the guest house I will be staying in so I didn't have to worry about getting those too. 

Alternatively you can choose to take up even less than this and buy many common items from the place you are going to be staying at, however I chose not to do so primarily because things are much more expensive in Switzerland. 

Hope this helps!