This is going to be short, I promise!
Since I have been told by numerous people to write a packing blog, I thought I would actually do it and share the few items they are talking about!
1. Go to CVS or Walgreens right now and buy a little fan. It takes batteries, it is the size of your palm and it will be your everything! I promise. When there is not air conditioning and you are sweating your butt off, you will wish you did not pass this little tip up. This is the item most told to me that others wish they would have brought. It is a life saver on hot busses, on hot nights, and so much more. It literally cost like 4 bucks. MUST BUY!!
2. Go to REI right now and get yourself a travel chair. Do not say that you do not have enough room. It costs like 70 dollars but let’s be real, everyone likes to sit and have their back supported. My chair is used all the time and is the most convenient item! For instance, today I was hand washing my clothes for 1.5 hours and to bend down over buckets is no good, and you get exhausted. Just get the chair and sit and wash your clothes. When you want to have “quiet time” with the Lord, you could be sitting in your chair, or have ants crawling over your lap. You could eat your food on the ground without back support or eat in your chair with back support. For team time you could lie on concrete or sit in your chair. Literally in every situation I have found an applicable way to use my chair. Go buy one! They are small and pack super easy on the outside of your bag or on the inside. Also, you could just place it in your airporter.
3. Download Google Translate right now and download the offline languages of some of the countries you are going too. In Albania, Romania and Greece, this has been clutch! Nobody on my team had it and Wi-Fi isn’t generally strong enough oversees. Do it. It is free, and you can communicate with the kids and make best friends everywhere! So bring your phone. It is actually very helpful on the race; just don’t let it control your focus.
4. Go buy yourself a squirt bottle. Everybody made fun of me at training camp and now on the race, it has been a hit. It can be a squirt gun with kids, it can control unsafe water from entering your mouth, help you look decent (btw, don’t look bad on the race just because it’s the race. Many contacts and people like the fact that my squad dresses nicer than some other squads of the past). Also, if you have safe water, it can help you brush your teeth. Just many good things happen with this and it cost like 99 cents at Target.
5. Totally optional, but bring a selfie stick. The kids love it! Also, on off days, it gets a cool shot with your team. Good idea but not a must.
6. Ok this is my last tip! Download the app called Triposo. Download the offline version of every country you are going to. It has basic communication there as well to learn the language. Also, it gives you different places to visit in every country or near your location. There is a map that shows all national park, game reserves, restaurants, monuments, historical sites, etc. Very good app for off day adventures, especially if you have no Wi-Fi in your location to look up things to do.
