Years of travelling for business and pleasure should have taught me a thing or three about packing. 

Each trip I take begins with such promise; all smiles and light luggage.

However like a nightmare, it never quite seems to, well, end so well…

When it comes to accumulating shopping treasures overseas, it seems my efforts know no bounds.

I confess I am a bowerbird; the majority of trips allow time to wander laneways. Chatting to locals, exploring how others live and yes, purchasing items to bring home.

Plenty of experiences with horrific excess baggage charges had regretfully leaving behind treasures I still pine over.

The hundred-year old hand embroidered wall hanging in Jaipur (I did buy its smaller cousin…), a stunning vintage chandelier from a Paris Flea Market, family furniture still in Holland with various relatives (my family left after WWII).

Occasions when tempted to throw caution to the wind ended in extreme discomfort.

The occasion I was forced to wear layers of winter coats (three, I seem to recall) through transit in Dubai – an unscheduled eight hour delay with 40-degree heat even permeating the air-conditioned terminal.

The time I left Rome Airport it took my Mother to convince the Check-in attendant that I was not actually beginning a racket in imported Italian Shoes.

My teenagers inherited the affliction from a young age. Finding skateboards, guitars, large posters to bring home.

Additionally we are a family that takes annual overseas ski holidays (with all the related heavy gear).

Imagine my thrill at recently being introduced to World Baggage, a company that can move anything from a suitcase to a full container of personal effects. Naturally there are a few caveats that need to be adhered to, just as if you were bringing the items through customs yourself. Items, which have been owned and used for less than twelve months, will be subject to duty and tax.

World Baggage can assist you in navigating that minefield (as a guide any goods you wouldn’t bring home in your suitcase shouldn’t be sent).

Conversely, if you’re going to need to take some of your personal effects with you and you think you may exceed the maximum amount of free checked baggage allowance given to you by the airline you are travelling with – World Baggage can help by providing affordable shipping from Australia, to a wide range of overseas destinations.

So the Golf Clubs and Skis can come with you…

I speak with authority when I say it really is no fun to struggle with a large bag. The time I travelled to Paris with my sister – only to get caught in a turnstile in Le Metro, in peak hour, with a long queue of extremely unforgiving Parisians behind me. The holiday in Amsterdam when I discovered too late that the Canal House we chose did not have an elevator – our room was on the top floor.

It seems that with World Baggage, my travel in the future will be less stressful – lighter luggage, less buyer’s remorse – making it easy to bring travel shopping treasures home.

in the interests of transparency:  The Urban Mum was sponsored for this article by World Baggage. On my site posts of this nature are far and few between, companies need to really offer a service other ‘Mum’s’ will find of benefit before they are featured.  Assistance with extra shopping brought home fits the bill perfectly, I am sure you agree…