How would you pack in this situation?

Okay, so it's still a year until I'd move, and my first move is not the UK (it's to The Netherlands), but my final destination will be the UK -- if all goes well. I'm going to do a year on a student visa in The Netherlands, and then move (hopefully) to Scotland with my boyfriend, on a family permit. I have the requirements for all of that worked out, but it's the packing that gets me panicked.

-- I have about 5 pairs of knee high boots that I just love, and wear with almost everything. I can't imagine not having them.
-- I have a ton of hand knit scarves that I adore, and would love to have with me.
-- I have a huge wardrobe. Tons of clothes. Probably at least 6 large suitcases worth.

My original plan was to travel with two large suitcases, one carry-on, and my laptop case, and then ship the rest over. But... is it a good idea for me to ship things over before I'm in the UK (considering that I'll have to move from the Netherlands to the UK if things go as planned, and if not, from the Netherlands to the US)?

I realize I'm thinking wayyy in advanced here...

I hear you!  I've just returned to the UK after a long interim back in the US -- and there are so many things (clothing, household items, etc.) I wish I had.  Last autumn I brought over a suitcase of winter-ish things.  Then in March I brought 2 suitcases of more winter stuff and wore one pair of boots and a heavy wool peacoat on the plane.  Then in June I came back with another suitcase with what I thought would be appropriate for summer, wearing a straw hat and rain coat to the plane!  Then it turned out to be an unusually hot summer here and I had to go buy some sandals and cruised the charity shops for tee shirts.  When it comes down to it those heavy suitcases, packed within an inch of their life, just don't hold that much when you unpack 'em.  Fine for a holiday but not for moving your wardrobe.  I've got more boots, a long fleece bathrobe, sheepskin slippers, several winter jackets/coats, warm hats, mittens, and scarves (hand made, as you say), tons of cotton turtlenecks and fleece jackets, etc. etc. that I still desperately want.

Thing is, you really want this stuff because it is YOU.  You needed it at the time and shopped for it and paid for it with your own money.  It's part of you and I don't think we should be made to feel greedy or childish for wanting it.  Like the friends who advise you to throw out everything and then buy a new wardrobe from Marks and Spencer  Your books, your pots and pans, knitting supplies, sock collection -- whatever it is, you are entitled to have it!

So I really have no good advice -- just sympathy.  I'd say bring what you can in suitcases but find out about shipping over the rest.  Of course, you have to be pretty ruthless in weeding it out beforehand but take whatever it is that you really love.

The first question is what you think you can live without for that first year in The Netherlands. In my opinion, you are going to need all the boots and scarves you can get! So ship all your stuff, because a move from the Netherlands to the UK is a self drive hire van on a ferry, not the same pack it up, put it on a boat scenario (although it can be if you want it to).

And besides, maybe you'll end up loving The Netherlands so much that you stay on longer. Maybe it is best to treat this move as *the* move, then take the rest as it comes, no?

Thing is, you really want this stuff because it is YOU.  You needed it at the time and shopped for it and paid for it with your own money.  It's part of you and I don't think we should be made to feel greedy or childish for wanting it.  

Yes, I love this!  
My motto is always, I refuse to apologise for my stuff and the amount of stuff I own.   I love my musical instruments, books, knick knacks, cooking gadgets, artowrk, grateful dead t-shirts, jewlery, etc.  Do I "need" all of it.  Not at all. Can I justify throwing it away-giving it away?  No way, its mine!!  

I am just not a minimalist.  That works for so many folks and that's awesome that it does, it's just not me! I can't do it.  I can't.  
 
I just moved from a two bedroom flat to my lonesome to a double bedroom in a house share and almost all my stuff is in storage. Storage, I am of course, paying for, which if I were a ruthless person with my own stuff, I wouldn't need to.   (I did take "bootfuls" of my estate car to the charity shops at least 7 times before moving and at least 7 times to the recyling centre and the dump for really tatty -unusable stuff)  And I'm missing a lot of it dearly and its only been a few weeks.   I can access it, but it's actually quite difficult, due to the type of storage I am using and the container type... So I have to really need something to get a "single" item back, rather than the "whole container" Oh well...

I'm thinking that studying for a year in the Netherlands will be a lot of fun.

I'm with you, PB.  They say that you should pack away stuff and if you haven't had to pull it out in a year, then you should throw it away.  Hah!  I often think of dresses, books, whatever that I tossed decades ago and mourn their loss 

Besides, when you're moving somewhere new and different you need lots of old friends with you.

I'm with you, PB.  They say that you should pack away stuff and if you haven't had to pull it out in a year, then you should throw it away.  Hah!  I often think of dresses, books, whatever that I tossed decades ago and mourn their loss 

Besides, when you're moving somewhere new and different you need lots of old friends with you.

LoL, BD.  I am not a pack rat at ALL, but I think I have thinned out our stuff pretty much as much as possible except for crappy IKEA bookcases, which I will just replace with newer, less beat up ones when we arrive. 

 it's the packing that gets me panicked.

-- I have about 5 pairs of knee high boots that I just love, and wear with almost everything. I can't imagine not having them.
-- I have a ton of hand knit scarves that I adore, and would love to have with me.
-- I have a huge wardrobe. Tons of clothes. Probably at least 6 large suitcases worth.

My original plan was to travel with two large suitcases, one carry-on, and my laptop case, and then ship the rest over. But... is it a good idea for me to ship things over before I'm in the UK (considering that I'll have to move from the Netherlands to the UK if things go as planned, and if not, from the Netherlands to the US)?

I realize I'm thinking wayyy in advanced here...

Nothing wrong with planning in advance, and I am stressing about packing too. I have gotten a few quotes and it'll be about $7K for our stuff, but we have built a life together, and we have some  nice furniture and other things which we would be sad to lose and expensive to replace [much of it was dumpster dive finds, fixed up].

I have a friend who has lived in India, the UK, France, Germany, the US, and is now back in Canada where she's from.  She moved her things, as well as her family and other things she's collected along the way, every time.  She said, 'it may be expensive, but it just doesn't feel like home without them'.  If it feels special to you, keep it with you in both places.  You are already changing so much about your life. Keep your comforts if at all possible.