How to Pack for Interning Abroad
By Sarah Dilworth
You’ve made the decision to build your resume, advance your education and real world experience, and focus on language learning and intercultural experiences. You’ve searched for, applied to, and selected an internship. Your housing is arranged and you bought your plane tickets. You are prepared. Except, a few days before you leave, you start packing and realize, you have no idea what to bring with you! We know packing can be stressful, so let us guide you through this process with this guide to packing for interning abroad.
First Things First
The obvious items like your passport (with at least 6 months before the expiration date- longer if you will be travelling more than 6 months!), plane tickets, and any visa or documentation you may need for customs and passport control.
The Essentials
Be sure to pack according to the seasons and average temperatures for your destination. Keep in mind that the Connect-123 destinations of Buenos Aires and Cape Town are in the southern hemisphere!
Intern Wear
Your internship or volunteer experience abroad is not the time to try out brand new heels or funky clothing that you would not normally wear. Check your Project Description forms for more information on your workplace or organization’s culture and dress code. WIth the exception of internships in Shanghai, generally the dress code is slightly less formal than workplaces in the US.
Travel Goodies
You will need electrical adapters/voltage converters for any chargers, laptop, or electronics you bring with you. Remember to check the voltage of anything you bring as all five C-123 destinations run on 220V, while most American electronics/appliances are 110V. Another important must-do is to inform your bank/credit card companies that you will be abroad. Most countries accept chip and pin cards, so if possible make sure you have access to that.
Less Is More
Of course you do want to make sure you have enough clothing, jackets, shoes, and the essentials. But there’s no need to arrive to your internship destination with four checked bags! You will accumulate items during your time abroad, and you will want space to bring those things back with you.
Be sure to check the Packing List below (or click here to download the PDF version) to see more specifics on what to bring and what not to bring with you to your Connect-123 internship!
Sarah Dilworth
Marketing Coordinator
Sarah’s passion for cultural and educational travel was sparked by her first experience of studying abroad in Limerick, Ireland ten years ago. After graduating with a BA in Political Science from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she returned to Ireland to study Intercultural Studies at Dublin City University. With experience working in primary and secondary education, cultural exchange, and marketing for an international education organization, Sarah founded a freelance business aimed at supporting small businesses and nonprofits to use social media and digital marketing to their fullest potential. Recently relocated to Buenos Aires, after a few years in Dublin, Sarah is looking forward to getting to know the many barrios, discovering new foodie spots, and exploring the cultural arts scene in Argentina.
