I am one of those people who is always thinking about food. I plan my meals in my head hours before I will eat them, I schedule my daily activities around when I plan on eating, and I go to bed excited for breakfast. It boggles my mind that there are people who sometimes forget to eat. So naturally, as my departure date approaches (I am leaving for Spain in two short days!), I am thinking about what I am going to eat while I’m abroad. I am already starting to mentally prepare for the later meal times that we will have in Spain (no dinner until almost nine o’clock!?). Thinking about food is even more important for me because I am vegan and occasionally it can be challenging to find foods that fit my diet. While at first this was worrying me, I am actually very excited for the new foods I will discover during my time abroad.
That being said, I don’t want to leave anything to chance (food wise) and want to make sure that there is something for me to eat at all times (just in case), so I am packing three boxes of my favorite granola bars! These will be awesome for snacking between meals while we are on the go or between classes. I know that there isn’t a ton of room in my suitcase as I am planning on only bringing one suitcase, a duffle bag, and a backpack for my month long study abroad, but food is important to me and deserves space in my suitcase.
Besides my granola bars, I’m not quite sure what to pack for my trip. So far, I have dresses and shoes… and that’s it. The weather in Spain should be warm while I’m there, but I’m nervous that it might be cold some nights and that I’ll wish I had included more clothes in my suitcase when I packed. Half of me wants to bring lots of pants and coats just in case, but the other half of me is hesitant of overpacking. After all, if I’m really desperate, I can always buy a sweatshirt while I’m in Spain.
Packing for a month long trip is difficult. It’s long enough that you want to ensure that you don’t forget anything important since you will be there for quite some time. On the other hand, a month is too short to bring your entire wardrobe. This is forcing me to think twice about each item I pack and decide if it is really worth the space in my suitcase. While I debate back and forth about a lot of things, I don’t have any second thoughts about the granola bars. I know they will be lifesavers in random times of hunger. Plus, I just really love granola bars. Besides granola bars, who knows what types of foods I will eat during my study abroad. I will just have to wait to discover the extent of vegan options in Spain!
