My whole life into a 20kg suitcase

That feeling of utter despair when the pile of clothes, shoes, books and other stuff almost reaches the ceiling... and you have one medium sized suitcase to fit it all into... *sigh*. If you're going for a week's holiday this is usually a good thing, as it forces you to rethink what you'll actually be needing. When you're moving to another continent, however, it's just hopeless! I've already spent a year in Australia, but then I had no plans for how long I was going to stay or where I was going afterwards. This time it's different.

Embracing my new home ;)

And this is why, even though I leave for Australia in little more than a week, I have not yet packed a single item. It's not only the pain of realizing I probably won't need that gorgeous red winter coat I spent years searching for (as I'm moving to a city where the winter temperature might reach a freezing +10 at night). It's also the idea of leaving behind the tea-cups I've collected from different countries I've travelled to, that piece of art i dragged all the way from Tunisia, or the wind-chime I finally decided on after running around for hours in a store in Lanzarote testing each and single one to make sure the one I got had that perfect sound. I know they're just things, and I'll find plenty of new stuff to fill my home with in Australia. But they're also memories. Little treasures from my past that remind me of all the good times I've had. That warm feeling of being surrounded by things you love and that make you feel at home, I guess. And now they're just stowed away into little cardboard boxes, where they'll probably stay for years to come.

I'm flying to Australia with Thai Airways, which are great - I find their flights comfortable, the food is nice (considering it's airplane food) and the service is good. However, they only allow you to bring 1 piece of luggage at 20kg - no exceptions. I called them once, to check if there was absolutely no way I could bring another suitcase for an extra fee, and was told that there actually was, but that fee was $1200. That's the cost my ticket! So naturally it's not really an option.

I'll just have to pick a few pieces, I guess, that I think will survive the long flight and that aren't too heavy. So at least I'll have a few things to remind me of home and all the great adventures I've had with everyone there :) <3 It's just so incredibly hard!

What would you choose to bring if you could only bring one suitcase and you were moving to another continent?

(I am also allowed hand-luggage, of course, and I'll be sending a few boxes of clothes etc. by post, but it still amounts to very little compared to everything I'd like to take with me)