Packing for Nationals

Packing for Miss International can be very stressful yet exciting because pageant week is SO close. However, these tips will help you be more organized and ready to take on the week.

Your Official Handbook is Your New BFF

Read it cover to cover. Then read it again. And again. Everything you need to know about your week at Nationals is covered in this handbook. Most importantly, the schedule with all events and rehearsals will be most beneficial for preparing to pack. 

Organize Your Outfits

• Pick out your complete outfits top to bottom and lay them out. 

• Take an index card, hole punch it, and put it on the hanger of your outfit and label which day/event it is for. 

• Place earrings in zip-lock bags and attach to hangers. Be sure to label your earrings just in case they detach from the hanger. 

• Pick out shoes to match!

When packing, place the outfit on the hanger with the label card and earrings directly into your suitcase. When you get to nationals everything is already pieced together and you don’t have to worry about remembering which earrings are for which days. I recommend bringing a rolling rack for extra storage (here’s an example from Target). Place your outfits in order of wearing them directly on the rack when you arrive.

Don’t forget to try on all your outfits with undergarments to figure out which works best! 

Start Early 

I really wish I would have taken my own advice and started packing earlier than I did, it would have saved me a lot of last minute stresses. Start about a month early. That way you have plenty of time to pick up last minute items and have the time to get everything organized. 

Make a list of everything you can possibly think of. Before I started packing and gathering items I needed, I stood in each room of my house, looked around the room, and wrote down everything I needed in that room. I started in my room, moved to my closet, then to the bathroom, opened every drawer and documented everything I knew or thought I would need. By the end of that exercise I had listed over 100 items. Doing this was a huge help in preparing. 

Don’t Forget The Essentials

Sounds self explanatory, but this includes your normal skincare and hair care products. I recommend staying with your normal regime. Buy disposable empty travel bottles if needed, this is not the time to steer away from what you’re used to save space in your luggage. 

Don’t Worry About Bringing too Much

Girl, this is Miss International! I am telling you to overpack and bring back up outfits, you will never know what you’ll need it for (AKA a surprise road trip to NYC to see yourself on the jumbotron in Times Square). Be ready for anything! Most importantly, you want to be  comfortable in what you’re wearing. So if that outfit you’re questioning, makes you feel like a million bucks, pack it! You might change your mind at the last second and want to wear it. 

When I was all packed, I ended up with two very large suitcases, one carry-on sized suitcase full of only shoes, two large totes, and a handful of hanging dress bags. 

If at any point in your packing process you feel stressed or need advice on something, I am always here for you. Do not hesitate to reach out.

Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear from you: missintl2020@gmail.com Stay happy, healthy, and grounded Mind. Heart. Body.

Megan Vladic

Miss International 2020