• Scale back and clean house—less is more.
› Bring only essentials—and that is less than you think.
› Put in storage only what you believe you need for your return (i.e., don’t be a pack rat).
› Give nonessentials away or donate them to local charities.
• Select a few items to give your new place a touch of home, such as photos and special pictures.
• If you have children, be sure to bring some things to keep them in touch with their roots, such as native language books, videos, holiday decorations, and traditional nonperishable foods.
• Pack essential personal care items, such as eye care products, prescriptions, and even special makeup needs, enough for at least six months (twelve is better).
• Bring small inexpensive gifts—the little things are important—from your home country to give out on occasion, such as American baseball hats or coffee mugs, matrushka dolls from Russia, and origami from Japan.
You’re going to buy things, and you’ll need a place to put them. Pack less, store more, and make sure you’ve got the right-size container for your return. Most of us returned with two to three times the amount we brought. —Perry, coauthor and Kraft Foods, Inc.
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