What to bring to the US?
You must be very excited after getting the ticket to the University of Minnesota. I still remember how happy I was when I received the admission letter last year. In the last 3 months before leaving Beijing, I spent most of my pocket money buying stuffs to bring to the US. Shopping was so much fun of course, but it would be much more efficient to list out the items that are necessary before stepping into the malls.
So, you may be asking “What should I bring to the US?” That is a very good question. First of all, I want to tell you a good news. Most of you should have booked students flight tickets, which will benefit you by allowing bringing three pieces of luggage. Although it is a lot of space, don’t bring your quilt to the US. One reason for that is, there are quilts in the US of course, and not expensive at all. Another reason is, although it is cold in the winter, but it keeps constant temperature indoors, so you will never need quilts like what we have in China. That kind of quilts would definitely make you sweat in your dream. Pillows are cheap here as well, so why not save some space for other more important stuffs such as heavy coats or even books?
Don’t bring anything electronically except notebook and cell phone. Because the plugs are different, you will not be able to use them at all. Rice cooker, water heater and hair drier are necessary in your daily life. They can be purchased in very good deal in the US, so don’t worry about that. Some may consider bringing pot to the US. That is not necessary as well. But, bring a traditional Chinese knife is a good idea. That kind of knife is very hard to find and it is indeed very useful.
You can also bring some snacks to the US. But be careful, anything that is related to meat would be sequestrated and fined for about $200 if found. Soup flavoring and beef jerky are very dangerous to carry with. However, tea, nuts and Chinese cuisine like Mahua are all available. Instant noodle is not necessary because they are cheap in the US as well.
After coming to the US, I regret in buying to many clothes in China. Clothes here in the US are very stylish and not expensive at all, especially US is in a recession nowadays, and everything is cheaper. And also, the quality is good. The policy that you can return anything with your receipt within three months is helpful. So you can always return stuffs when you realize you don’t need them anymore.
Of course, you should definitely bring photos of families and gifts given by friends. Those are the things you cannot buy in the US and they will carry your sweet memories with you where ever you go. I would like to answer questions about specific items if you are not sure whether to bring or not. So feel free to ask, and good luck!
Comments
Gifts and photos are a must!!!!
Posted by: Viviane T. | April 9, 2008 08:07 PM