Yes, my friends, the moment has come. I have finally packed, in two bags, what I will need for the next two years. HA! Yeah right. But I am done packing what I guess/hope/deny I will need for the next while anyways. The process was, as you can imagine, involved. But my parents are wonderful people and they even stayed up past 11pm to help me. I know, that's major. My goal is to go to bed by 3am. Probably not going to happen, but we should all have goals, right?? I am close to the weight limit, and I'm crossing my fingers and smiling cutely, hoping no one will look too closely.
According to the Peace Corps, 
I need to have no more than 80 pounds of checked baggage, with a max of 50lbs for any one bag. There are details about combined linear dimensions and all that, but basically I have to be able to carry it all myself. As shown:
So here's the list. Not everything is here. It's in a weird order. But this is where my mind is at the moment. I will have to come back and fix it up at some point, so it actually makes sense. But until then, this is the gist of the situation.
| A People’s History of the United States | |
| acrylic mirror | |
| Address book | |
| Allergy medication | |
| Aloe Vera | |
| Am/Fm shortwave radio | |
| backpack, small carryon | |
| Bandanas | 5 |
| Bathing suits | 2 |
| Bras | 6 |
| Business Camping blazer | 1 |
| Button-up shirt | 1 |
| capris, Quick-Dry | 1 |
| Carabiners | 2 |
| Cardigan | 1 |
| CD player | |
| CD’s | |
| Chinese slippers | |
| Compass | |
| Deodorant | |
| Dictaphone | |
| Digital camera | |
| Duct Tape | |
| Duffel for holding medium backpack | |
| Duffel, 36" long | |
| earplugs | |
| Face soap | |
| File Folder | |
| Film | |
| Flash Drive | |
| flashlight keychain | |
| Flashlight, small | |
| Fleece | 1 |
| Flip-flops | 4 |
| Florida Orange bags | |
| Floss | |
| Fluoride | |
| French-English dictionary | |
| games, cards, UNO, Phase 10 | |
| Gauchos | 1 |
| Gifts for Host Family | |
| gum | |
| hair ties | |
| Hand sanitizer | |
| Handkerchief | 3 |
| Headlamp | |
| Headphones | |
| Hot water bottle | |
| Ibuprofen (not ™) | |
| Index cards | |
| Jeans | 1 |
| Journals | 3 |
| Jump rope | |
| Keeper™ (get it. it's your friend) | |
| Kitchen knife | |
| Kleenex™, small | |
| Knickers | 1 |
| Large duffel | |
| Linen pants | 1 |
| Little Book of Sudoku II | |
| Lonely Planet Guide to the Gambia and Senegal | |
| Lonely Planet Guide to West Africa | |
| Long dresses | 4 |
| Long sleeve shirt | 3 |
| Lotion | |
| Map of Senegal and the Gambia | |
| Maps, world and USA, small | |
| Markers | |
| Medium backpack | |
| Memory card | |
| Memory card reader | |
| Mini-cassettes | |
| Mirror | |
| Money belt | |
| Multi-tool | |
| Nalgene bottles | 2 |
| Notebooks | 2 |
| Padlocks | |
| Pads | |
| Pashmina | 1 |
| passport photos | 18 |
| Peace Corps Paperwork | |
| Pens, pencils, pencil sharpener | |
| Pepto Bismol™ | |
| photo albums | 2 |
| Pillow | |
| Planner | |
| Plug adapters | |
| post-it notes | |
| Powdered drink mix | |
| Prescription medications for 6 months | |
| Q-Tips™ | |
| Raincoat/stuff bag | |
| Razor plus extra blades | |
| Rechargeable batteries (AA and AAA) | |
| Rewriteable CD’s for photo storage | |
| Scarves | 4 |
| scissors | |
| Scotch Tape™ | |
| Sewing kit | |
| shampoo/conditioner | |
| Sheet set | |
| Shorts for sleeping | 1 |
| shoulder bag | |
| Skirts | 6 |
| Sleeping bag | |
| Soap | |
| Socks | |
| Solar-powered battery charger | |
| Speakers, small | |
| stamps | |
| Stationary | |
| Stuff sacks, compression sack | |
| Sunscreen | |
| Tanktops | 9 |
| tape measure, 5' | |
| Tennis Shoes | |
| Thermarest™ | |
| Toothbrush/toothpaste | |
| towel, small pack | |
| Toys for kids | |
| T-shirts | 4 |
| Tupperware | |
| Underwear | |
| USB cable | |
| Watch | |
Ziploc™ bags So there you have it. I can carry it all. That's what I have to say about that. Thanks to all the wonderful folks who made packing possible- shoppers, advisors, unwilling participants, gift-givers, and other totally awesome peeps. This very full bag's for you... |
|
This was an amazing process to watch! The piles began building over the weeks, on the couch. Packing happens in the last hours, of course, when there is no more time left. And that too was amazing - things organized, ziplocked, discussed, and discarded (only 7 pounds worth - mostly books, and 1 bag of MMs.) Dad was the supreme advisor, and handled it all calmly!
Posted by: Mom | March 14, 2006 at 10:03 PM
i'm glad you brought a sudoku book! i love those things. and i'm glad we got to chat yesterday too. i'm very excited for you and i can't wait to hear more. lots of love from dc. xoxo mer
Posted by: Meredith | March 16, 2006 at 03:34 PM