I am being offered the opportunity to go and live and work as a teacher in a small community in Poland for a semester. Unfortunately, as a teacher, I need to meet a certain dress code and need to take more clothing with me than the airlines normally allow. I have heard that it can sometimes be less expensive to ship your clothes ahead of you rather than paying the ever increasing fees that the airlines are charging for excess baggage. Has anyone used this method when traveling for an extended period? It would also save me the trouble of trying to lug a bunch of suitcases around the various airports and train stations. I really like the idea of showing up at my new accommodations and having everything sitting there waiting for me. Also, should I have any concerns about lost or missing shipments? I have had the airlines lose my suitcase before, and it wasn't fun. It finally showed up just as my trip was coming to an end. Made me really upset.