Luggage Shopping

Luggage

     While I was looking for luggage I ran into a friend of mine's dad, we'll call him James, who knew a lot about luggage from his family's travels. Now I have the opportunity to pass this knowledge on to you.

This is what I learned:

• Before even stepping foot in a store check your airline's website for luggage requirements! This will save you from a lot of trouble.
• The general (make sure you check your airline) requirements are:
• 62 inches total: That is height + width + depth. Height is from floor to top of handle. (take a tape measure)



Okay, so I thought it was funny.

• 50 pound max
• Don't buy bright or gaudy designs, or fancy looking bags. Flashy colors, attractive designs, and expensive luggage say that you have money. Thieves in the airport will look for things like that.
• Four wheels or two? Four wheels allow the case to spin and move easier than two, and they're harder to knock over especially if there is a bag hanging around the expandable arm. But, they're more expensive. Two wheels look to be more durable, and probably easier to take over rough terrain.

Travel Agents! & Flight Change? What??

Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine.  ~Robert C. Gallagher

   Things change, times change, and FLIGHTS change! I wasn't expecting that... Oh well. I'll just have to take this change in stride. Something that I defiantly recommend is that you get in contact with a travel agency. The travel agent called and let me know of the change, gave me a couple options I could change to, and bam it was done!

Flight change

   I was lucky enough to get an internship this summer, and while I was on a lunch break I get a call from my travel agent with the news that every first time traveler wants to hear. 'I just got notified that your flight has been changed.' For some odd reason the airline changed it, and the reason escapes me; be it consolidating travelers or saving gas, I don't know. But at least the airline company let my travel agent know that it happened. 


Imagine this:

     I'm walking through the terminal for my first international flight, my first time to be on a commercial airline, and even more important! the first time I get to use my awesomely manly luggage.

I walk up to the counter...

     "Hi can I see your ticket?"

     "Sure here ya go."

Call Me (in China)

My mission for today was to hunt down and compare the many SIM cards available, and I have found that their numbers and differences are many. Before you go on wondering what a SIM card is take a seat and let me enlighten you.

SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)
If you wanna get all in depth and smart about SIMs check this out. Otherwise let me inform you. A SIM card holds who you are, your phone number, your phone book, text messages, and what services you have access to. For example, if you have access to text messaging, using the internet, etc... They can also be swapped between phones when you get a new one, or want to try a friend's phone out.



Q. What kind of phone do I need to use internationally?
A. You need a "world phone"

Seating Tips

    Quick tips I've learned about choosing where to sit on your flight (before I've ever been on a an airplane with more than five seats). The people I've been talking to, who have done this before, have given me the following tips:

• Don't sit near a cross aisle
• Don't sit near the bathrooms, because they will stink
• Don't sit near the galley, because the employees are constantly going in and out creating noise and light when you are wanting to sleep
• Don't get worried when you see the airplane engine and wing moving up and down if you sit in a seat near a window as this is normal and not an indication of the airplane being torn apart!
• Do choose your seat before you get to your airport as it will save time and you don't have to worry about getting a sub-prime seat. There should be some way to do this on the airline company's

Paperwork and Such Things

This last week has been full of learning and finalizing; both for the end of my freshman year, and for my trip to Beijing, China. I had a meeting with the professor that is teaching the class at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), and with my study abroad advisor where we talked about all the myriad forms I need to fill out. I also had to sign a packet that says I can't hold my school responsible for anything that happens, and there were also a bunch of other little goodies I had to read over. One of the forms that intrigued me was a mandatory medical insurance, and with this I also get this cool thing called "evacuation insurance". This covers the expenses if I need to be evacuated because of an emergency, like a natural disaster or political uprising. I feel more safe already! Possibly only interesting to me, but there you have it. 

Click on picture to enlarge.

Plane Tickets

Oh, I also go my seats picked out on the planes I'm taking! An ordeal of it's own. American Airlines allows you to go online with your name and a unique code and choose your seat from a map of the plane. With Air China you have to call

What Am I Doing Here?

The Beginning

Whoa!! Well I guess this is my first of, hopefully, many interesting and story filled posts. The whole point of my blog here is to keep a journal of my experiences over the next year, or so, of my study abroad experiences. So, here's a bit about me. I enjoy poetry, long walks on the beach, and... Just kidding! Anyway, if you know me offline you might notice that these posts flow like my thoughts (sometimes very fluid and sometimes like fluid in a blender). Anyway about me. I'm currently a freshman in college pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and minors in Business, and Global Studies (two separate minors). Oh, and no I don't play video