The Day Before

The day before.  It still hasn't hit me yet that tomorrow I will be leaving the country for 4.5 months.  Everything is packed and preped as much as it can be.  Here is the final packing list.

(But before that I just want to wish my Grandpa a happy 80th birthday! Wish I could be there to celebrate with you!)

Lets start with the clothing. All clothing that I am bringing on this trip is quick drying, making for easy hand washing and drying to wear for the next day if need be! (Brands in parentheses)



I am bringing a total of six shirts: one long sleeved collared shirt (Ex Officio), one short sleeved collared shirt (REI), three short sleeved t-shirts (2 REI, 1 C9), and one sleeveless t-shirt for working out (C9).
The collared shirts should suffice for any semi-formal occasion.  The t-shirts are quite nice because they feel more like cotton than the typical wicking jersey material but they still dry quickly unlike cotton.  The sleeveless is made of that wicking material but that will be fine for the activities I will use it for.





Next comes pants.  I have one pair of athletic shorts for running, sports, working out, etc.(Champion), one pair of cargo shorts (Kuhl),  one pair of convertible pants/shorts with zip off legs (REI), and one pair of khaki golf pants (C9).  These should cover the very diverse gamut of activities that will come up while on the trip from athletic to semiformal.

For miscellaneous other clothing items, I have the following:  one camouflage bandanna, one CUI President's Bowl beanie, two pairs of briefs (Ex Officio), one pair boxers (Ex Officio), two pairs of boxer briefs (Jockey),  five pairs of wool socks (REI), and one pair of long underwear (Patagonia).  The long underwear will probably only come in handy in Hungary but they were pretty small so I decided they would be nice to have.

Now for one of the most important pieces of my wardrobe:  good footwear.  I have narrowed the options down to two that should cover me for the trip.  Both happen to be Keens that I originally discovered at the REI Used Gear Sale.  On the left are the Keen Voyagers, a low top leather boot with a little mesh ventilation on the sides.  I originally got a pair of these for $15 at the Gear Sale but my dad brought me a brand new pair as my old ones were wearing down.  On the right are the Keen Newport H2's.  These are the classic Keen water shoes.  these will work for pretty much anything that the boots are not necessary for.

This is the very pared down toiletry kit I will bring.  It includes: one Dopp kit, one role of toilet paper (special kind with no role in the middle so as not to take up useless space), one small bottle of shaving cream, one bottle of Sea-to-Summit all purpose soap and a bottle to dilute it in, one bottle sunscreen and one chap stick (both SPF 30 from Rocky Mountain Sunscreen), one spray bottle and one squirt bottle of pure Deet (REI Jungle Juice), one stick of deodorant, two Bug Bands insect repellent wristbands, three pairs of disposable earplugs, one toothbrush with cover, one razor, one tube of toothpaste, and four travel tissue packs.

 Meds are another crucial thing to bring when travelling abroad.  I have ample doses of the following: anti-malaria pills, Cipro and Zithromax (in case I get some gnarly bacterial infection), Acetaminophen (for pain), Ibuprofen (for swelling and pain), Benadryl (for allergic reactions), Costco brand Zyrtec (for non-drowsy allergy relief), Imodium (antidiarrheal), Gold bond foot powered, Pepto (say it with me now: nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea! Yay Pepto!), hydrocortisone cream (itch relief), Neosporin, various bandages, moleskin, rubber gloves, alcohol swabs, burn gel, an emergency blanket, a first aid kit bag, and a mesh bag from REI to keep it all together.

Also packed are some goodies to get me through the trip:  Fruit Nuggets fruit snacks, bag of 100 Grand (thanks Dana!), my pipe with tobacco, tamper, matches, and pipe cleaners.










Technology will be an integral part of this trip, especially with the classes we are taking.  I am bringing a Gateway netbook, an international socket converter, extra batteries (AA, AAA, and 123's), ethernet cable, GPS, iPod, extra camera batteries and memory cards, Kindle, cell phone unlocked for international use, headphones, SteriPEN UV water purifier, flexible camera tripod, and respective cables and chargers for everything.



This is my sleep gear.  I may not have to use it everywhere, but when I do I think I will appreciate it greatly.  I have a sleep sack which is basically a sleeping bag made out of sheet material, an REI backpacking down pillow, and a Therm-a-rest sleep pad.  The pad is not self inflating but this allows it to pack down smaller which is critical for this kind of trip!

In addition to the Kindle, I will have some actual books along as well (old school, right?).  I will be bringing a hand out on dealing with common travel illnesses, courtesy of my father.  A guide book on Thailand from AAA, a Lonely Planet on Thai food, and the Lonely Planet Thai and Latin American Spanish phrasebooks.

For the fitness portion of our trip I have a simple jump rope, an elastic resistance band and a frisbee.  Later I will add a volleyball as well so that we will be able to play with the local kids and with those in our group!

This is all miscellaneous stuff that would not fit into another category: notebooks (both pocket and regular sized), 3 pens, 1 Sharpie, sticky notes, paracord, Nalgene bottle, REI microfiber towel, mosquito head net (courtesy of my sister Leah!), Ziplocks (both gallon and sandwich), swag to leave in geocaches, a geocoin that is trying to travel to Germany, zip ties, a family photo album (to show to locals), a sleeping pad patch kit, duct tape and athletic tape (rolled on to old gift cards for easy packing), a deck of cards, gum, my wallet (with cash, cards, id, etc), sunglasses, headlamp, my Leatherman Juice CS4, a Gerber Shard multi-tool, a head lamp, a hacky sack, a digital watch (with alarm and dual time setting so I can read local time and time at home in the US), a paracord bracelet, and a money belt (with passport, money, immunization card, extra passport photos for visas, and international drivers permit).

This just about sums up the total of what I am bringing!  I tried to pare down the list as much as I could and only bring the essentials.  That leaves one item that is not yet pictured: my trusty Canon Powershot camera!

And that does it! If you made it this far, I commend you for not losing interest in all the junk I am lugging around with me!  If you just scrolled to the end, tsk tsk, I am shaking my head in disappointment at you (though I probably would have done the same thing so don't feel too bad!).

This is my last post before I leave the country. Please keep me and my entire group in your thoughts and prayers! Your support is much appreciated!