The advice you wished someone had given you.....

Personal items...as little as you can manage with. Really.

Mail...I got it forwarded to a friend in Canada, she forwards it in packs and opens anything that looks really important.

We have totally seperate banking systems, one here, one there, never the twain shall meet.  We're in Spain though...I don't know what you will see.

With athletic gear, bearing in mind the, bring as little as you can, bring personal gear...your boots, etc, but unless you are so elite in a sport that you have to have a custom board...I'd leave that and get one there...

All our important documents go into bags. Cloth ones.  We have one for Canada and one for Spain.  It is simple, and we can always find what we need.

Whew.  Hope that helps.  Oh, and with the mail...as a favour to whomever you get to handle your mail, reduce what you receive as much as you can.  Those newsletters from your job two jobs ago, and the university quarterly...let them go.  There is online now, and magazines you can change the address. Try to minimise the work for your buddy...only bills and taxes.  Boring but hard to change stuff.  Also change your drivers licence to her address so you get notified when it needs renewal.

Ummmm, hope that helps.