Packing List - 30 days in Europe

My tip for packing is definitely packing light. When you are pushing your luggage through the train stations & towards your hostel, you will definitely be cursing yourself for the tons of things you bring along. I would say your luggage should only be 60%-70% full! So that you can buy new things back.

1. Luggage choice: 4 wheel luggages are probably one of the best invention! 
2. Passport + Printed Itineraries / tickets + Photocopy your identification cards & credit cards & passport + passport photo (can't stress this enough, please print all your itineraries beforehand. Do not "try your luck" by showing e-tickets. Some of the train conductors can be really annoying. Photocopying your important documents is really important, just in case it got lost or stolen)
3. Sunglasses (a must for me!)
4. Cards (Credit card, Identification card, Student card - Super important as you get to enjoy heaps of discount)  *Tip: try not to keep this cards in your money wallet, but somewhere safer - i kept mine in my diary that I bring along 
5. Sunblock + Lip balm + Moisturizer (basically all your facial products)
6. International Plugs! 
7. Portable Charger + Phone Charger + Camera Charger
8. Scarf (good to have, since the weather can get cold even during Summer)
9. Wet wipes + Tissues
10. Medicine + Plaster + Vitamin C Tablets (I always have a habit to bring along a bottle of vit C tablets, they are really good to ensure you are on your health is in tip top condition during your vacation)
11. Toiletries + Facial Wash + Toiletries Bag (Good to purchase a bag to put all your toiletries so that going to the shower esp in hostels is fast & convenient) 
12. Towel (*Tip: Small or Medium size towel is best, do not bring the huge ones that you use at home. Not only does it take up space in your luggage, it takes forever to dry in hostel & its really difficult to find a spot to dry it)
13. Hangers x 2 (1 to use to hang your towel to dry)
14. Camera + Mobile Phone + Ear Piece 
15. Plastic Bags x 3 (to put your dirty clothes)
16. Ipad / Story Book / Diary (something to kill time while you travel between cities, for me my ipad was a lifesaver. I added tons of movies & story book to make the waiting less painful)
17. Neck Rest + Eye Mask  (highly recommend the Muji neck rest, as it can be use as a bolster & the cover could be washed! The neck rest can get really dirty so washing it is definitely a good idea!)  
18. Clothes x6 (the number of sets really depend on how long you are staying in each cities & whether the hostels / airbnb you book have washing machine. For example, I stay 3 days in each city, 6 sets of clothes is more than sufficient. 3 sets would be washing once you reach the 2nd destination & 3 sets you can wear on the 2nd city - haha i hope i'm not confusing you. To play it safe I brought 9 sets not a very wise choice I would say) 
19. Sleeping clothes x2 
20. Foldable duffel bag (SUPER important! No matter how much you tell yourself you are not going to shop, you will definitely buy heaps of souvenirs & whatnot, filling up your precious luggage space. A foldable duffel bag doesn't weight much & will definitely prevent the hassle of buying extra luggage)
21. Leather jacket / Trench coat - Basically any jacket that can keep you warm at 10 degree. Even tho I went to Europe during summer it was probably winter in cities like munich & prague. It was 10 degree at one point, and I was so underdress that I had to head to Zara to get a jacket
22. Slippers + Comfy Shoes (Slippers definitely a must, especially for toilets in hostels. Its gross walking bare foot. Also, bring a comfy shoe that is already in your collection. If you decide to purchase a new one, please try to "break into" it by wearing a week or two before bringing there. I got my Geox shoes maybe a week before the trip but it was still very uncomfortable for the first 10 days & I had heaps of blisters.. not a wise choice trust me!) *Tip: this is really random tip but Birkenstock is only cheap in Germany, anywhere else in Europe it cost a bomb. 
23. Locks x 2 (1 for your luggage & the other one for the lockers provided in hostels to keep your valuables!)
24. A small bag (*Tips: Its important you bring a small bag for traveling to put all your important things while visiting attractions.  The lesser number of zip the better - 1 being the best! so that you can keep your hand on it at all times & prevent nasty pickpockets. Also, the bag should be large enough to put your camera. Hide your camera, do not sling it over your neck as it scream I'm tourist! aka attracting pickpockets!)
25. Long socks (okay, this might seem odd. But its a lifesaver especially on long flights! You will definitely have better sleep without frozen feet)

Thats about all I guess? If I do remember I will add on to the list. 

*may

How to plan your trip - Europe

It been ages since the last time I blogged. I tell myself that I would blog throughout my entire Europe trip so that I could remember my trip better. But laziness & the lack of wifi, this task of my didn't come true. Instead I kept a physical diary to jot down my memories which would be a better for keepsake in the future.

It took me close to 2 months to plan my first trip to Europe. 30 days journey where I was on my own for 2/3 of it (20days that is !) I got tons of information & sources from all over the internet & took me forever to filter through them. I thought I would like to "return" to the community by blogging of my experiences & tips (where to eat, how to plan your itineraries & accommodation)

First most, I will start with "how to plan your trip"

Well, this part took me ages. I didn't know which cities to visit (yea I know the famous ones like Paris, Milan, Rome & Berlin) but others were pretty foreign in the sense that I didn't really know geographically where they were & etc. Hence, GOOGLE  + map, definitely your best friend when you are planning. Its important to ensure your journey flows, so that you don't have to make long journeys which are waste of time & energy. And just google the "name of the city + attractions" to see what catches your eye then jot down the city.

Also, I used Google Engine for my planning stage as the "drop pins" provide me with better visuals such as, where to book my hostels & how many days I would need to cater to visit the attractions.

The cities that I have decide to travel were:

1. Milan (2 days)
2. Venice (2 days - I did wish I had 1 more day)
3. Florence (3 days - perfect!)
4. Rome (4 days - WAYYY too many, I think 2 - 3 days is more than sufficient)
5. Munich (3 days - I did wish I had 1 more day, its a beautiful & relaxing city)
6. Prague (3 days - perfect!)
7. Berlin (3 days - WAYYY too little, there are heaps of things to do in Berlin. In my opinion 5 days would be alright)
8. Amsterdam (2 days - perfect!)
9. Brussels (3 days - perfect!) 
10. Paris (5 days - perfect for me!)

So here is a better visual of my journey (well I have started my journey from Rome but air tickets from Singapore to Milan were heaps cheaper) 

Here more choices for you guys

P.S For first timer, I would suggest you skip the "more dangerous" cities. Better to have a good impression of Europe on your first trip so you would want to return again. 

*may 

// fast fwd

I am for several reasons anticipating arriving back in the +61.

For starters, I really can't wait to see you and squish you in three weeks worth of embrace right in the arrival hall. I'm also eagerly anticipating (moving in to) the new apartment in an unfamiliar suburb. It's also been far too long that we haven't spent days and nights and days and nights together. I (sort of) miss cooking dinners and then having it in front of the tele watching randoms shows.. or Masterchef. And I really can't wait to snuggle under our pouffy duvets, more so now that there's an actual view. Can't wait to go back to our favourite bagel place (along with our favourite Greek / Vietnamese / Japanese places).

Of course it's not going to be easy leaving everything at home behind - there's really no good in goodbyes. I'm really really reeeeeaallly going to miss Dixie following me all over for one. She's there when I'm down and there when I'm happy. Sometimes she's the perfect lap dog, other times she drives me completely crazy with her incessant barking and stubbornness when it comes to meal time. No one's going to be on the other side of the door once the lift bings, I know she's always on the other side of the door before I even get my key out to open the door. Sigh. She won't be running around madly in circles in front of me from the front door trying to get my attention. I'mma miss you Dixie, but I'll be back before long. Also, within the next however many months I'm going to be in Brissy, I'm going to miss out on heaps of family dinners and birthdays - all the yummy food and the comfort of being around family. I think having family in Oxford, Chengdu and Hong Kong (along with me being in Brissy) has really taught me to treasure times when we're all back in Singapore together because it really hardly ever happens. I'm so thankful my extended family is close, I really can't imagine having it any other way. 

This post has gone across the spectrum from being a happy one to a really meh one. Anyhoos, I've got about three days left here, gonna try make the most of it. Soooo.. laters!

Fam time is always the best! I dunno wassup with all the boys in blue but happy (super late) 80th Ah Mah!

Happy Day

I haven been this happy for awhile since semester started, so I thought I should just write a short post :D
TODAY has been an awesome awesome one!

1) Finally met the prof for consultation & sooooo many doubts were clarified! :D This is the first in 5 semester that I meet up prof to clarify my doubts. hahaa, please get good grades tis sem!
2) Study w my favourite study buddy, EUGENE! It's totally like studying w a genius! Clarifying all the doubts.
3) Catch-up / mugging session with my China Buddy too (:
4) I GOT ACCEPTED TO THE COMPANY I WANT :D:D WOOOLALALALALA, that totes made my night
5) Driving with the windows down & listening to ur fav music to destress! Can't describe the adrenaline rush & happiness! Soooo happy :D
6) MOST MOST MOST IMPORTANTLY! IN LAST THAN 24 HOURS MY BESTFRIEND IS FINALLY GOING TO BE ON THE SAME COUNTRY AS ME!! BAHAHAHAH! CANT.WAIT.TOO.EXCITED.

*may (:
Please let me be this happy throughout the exam period (:

Exam.

Whyyy exam whyyy?

 

Despite the fact that I started studying wayyyy earlier this semester (since week 1), I'm still pretty much lagging behind in the revision, all thanks to my inefficient studying method. But I'm gonna keep a positive mind this semester! I'm sooo thankful Nic is in this together <3 

Fingers xxx 2.5 weeks more to the end of this horror! 

And about 541 days to end of UNII LIFE!!

(CANT WAIT!)

 "Just have to keep reminding myself that"

*May (: