The Art of Packing for Italy

PART 149: It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way.

We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life!

We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then back again in the Spring, and in California for the rest of the time (in a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year).

Step 1: As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems that are worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing.

This week, let's explore how purchasing a home in Italy changes how we pack.

Step 2: My Goal

Once we decided to establish a life in Italy, I set a goal: I wanted to travel between California and Italy without a suitcase.

To achieve this goal, needed to stock our home in Tuscany with enough clothes and other supplies to avoid transporting items across the Atlantic.

It seems like a realistic goal. How are we progressing?

Step 3: Supplies

Last year I was traveling to Tuscany to our completed home, and I wanted this to be the only trip during which I would need to bring two large suitcases. The first step was to decide what items I could buy in Italy and what I needed to bring from California so that I could leave all my clothes and supplies I would need at our home in Italy.

Here are the steps I went through to figure out what I would or wouldn't need to bring:

• Clothing: Can I find my size in shoes and apparel in Italy? The short answer is no. No matter what store we went to in Italy, my feet were too big, and Italian men's clothing was too small, so I had to bring summer and winter clothing from the U.S.

• Toiletries: We all have our favorite toiletries, whether a specific deodorant, soap, face moisturizer, or other products that help us feel clean, fresh, and prepared for the day.

I explored various pharmacies and online stores to see if I could find the toiletries I wanted while in Italy. If I couldn't locate the same brands, I discovered equivalent products. This approach allowed me to reduce the number of toiletries I needed to pack in my suitcase.

• Kitchen Supplies: Most kitchen supplies available in California can also be found in Italy, although some measurements may differ.

  
  

During the cold months, we like using a crock pot, so we purchased one locally in Italy. We also found the rest of our kitchen supplies there, and having an IKEA nearby was very helpful.

• Food: While some expats bring food from their home countries to Italy, we chose not to do that—except for brownie mixes.

  
  

• We love our local fruits and vegetables, which taste fresher than we can find in the U.S. The local bakeries are fantastic, the coffee bars are excellent, and the poultry and beef are exceptional. So, why bring any food from the U.S. into Italy? (Except brownie mixes, of course).

However, there are times when we crave something familiar...

When I lived in Rome in the 1980s, peanut butter was rare, but now it's available in many Italian supermarkets. My partner and I love peanut butter, particularly the thicker variety, which isn't easily found in Italy. Instead, we often spend a little more on an American brand that doesn't run or drip from the bread.

"I think I'm going to bring a Costco-sized jar of peanut butter next time," my partner recently said. "That would be great," I replied. However, I'm not planning to pack it in my suitcase. If he brings it over and the jar just sits in our kitchen in Tuscany, I might indulge a little...

We haven't really felt the need to bring other foods to Italy. We did bring a box of See's candies for our Italian friends, but they found them too sweet. Brownie mixes are the only exception (the ones with walnuts!).

Step 4: The challenge

• Supplies for Rome

  It would be simple to travel without any luggage if we were headed straight to our house in Tuscany after landing at the airport. However, since Rome holds a special place in my heart and always draws me back, I always arrive about a week before and spend some time in Rome before and after our stay in Tuscany. This means I have to make do with my small suitcase for about 7 days while I'm in Rome.

• Supplies in Tuscany

  The challenge is to carry as little as possible from California to Italy while ensuring I have enough supplies at our place in Tuscany. To help keep track of the supply items I already have in Tuscany (the things I brought over in my 2 huge suitcases last year) and those that I want to bring from the U.S., I've created a Google spreadsheet to organize my packing list. This sheet has columns for items that are "already in Italy" and those I "need to bring." It lists items such as medications, clothing items and some products that are difficult to find in Italy. This list evolves as I run low of supplies in Tuscany and need to bring an item or two.

• Check list for a week in Rome

  I have also created a checklist in Google Docs for my travel bag, which will serve as a carry-on for my week in Rome. This checklist includes every item I need for that week, detailing the exact number of socks and shirts to bring. By mapping everything out in advance, I can avoid the time-consuming process of staring at my suitcase and wondering how many pairs of pants to pack. I use this same list for every trip I take.

  
  

• I then add the items from my spreadsheet for Tuscany to my carry-on list, and I am set for the next trip!

  
  

• As our return to Italy approaches, I've streamlined my packing to just one carry-on. I included enough essential clothing for a week and basic toiletries to last a couple of days until I can shop in Rome for the rest. Additionally, I'm bringing a few items from my spreadsheet that I plan to leave in Tuscany, as I'm running low on them. There's no longer a need to check a bag.

Step 5: Mission accomplished?

Although my goal was to bring nothing back across the Atlantic, I couldn't achieve that due to my week-long stopovers in Rome. However, fitting my CPAP machine, clothing, and a few essential toiletries into one carry-on bag is a significant step forward. Exiting the plane without waiting for checked baggage is a fantastic feeling.

Step 6: Having confidence in our life in Italy

Learning to travel lighter is closely linked to building confidence in our life in Italy. Things will be different, and that's perfectly okay. We will find what we need and learn to adapt; it's all part of the adventure.

More next time.

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