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There comes a point in every study abroad experience when you realize that you’ve somehow acquired way more possessions that you can possibly fit in your luggage for the trip home. There are a few potential solutions to this issue. You could leave things in your apartment for the next study-abroader (how I acquired one of my favorite purses), you could pay a lot of money to ship your precious treasures home on a slow boat (true story: it took my boxes 3 months to get from China to California), you could attempt to fit it all in your suitcase only to end up throwing away some of your favorite winter clothing in an airport trashcan due to high overweight luggage fees (like a good friend had to do), or you could use the worlds most awesome delivery service, your parents.
Remember 7 months ago when your parents said they wanted to visit you in Brazil and you were all like “No, it’s too expensive and also your trip would totally coincide with carnival and that’s just not cool.” Yea, well suck it up and deal with being their tour guide for a week because, as it turns out, those people are useful for more than just giving you life.
Here’s how it works. Have your parents plan their trip either towards the end of your time abroad or around a major change in seasons. Before they come let them know that you’ll need them to bring an empty (or semi-empty) bag with them and remind them that it shouldn’t be a problem because international flights allow each passenger 2 pieces of luggage. When you meet them at the airport (yes, you have to meet them at the airport) hijack the empty bag and bring it back to your apartment so you can immediately start filling it with the things you can live without for the remainder of your trip (usually gifts for friends at home or your winter wardrobe). As an act of courtesy you should make sure the bag isn’t too heavy and you should tell your parents what’s in it so they don’t have to lie to customs. Don’t turn your parents into smugglers!
If you use this method effectively, and tone down your purchases for the remainder of your trip, you should have no problem fitting all of your stuff into your luggage when the time comes to head home.
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