I haven't had a post on my blog yet so I figured I would just go ahead and post what I plan on packing!
My parents have always been very helpful with my growth in the world by taking me on as many trips out of the country as possible. I remember the first time I went to Honduras with my family and the church. I packed my suitcase a month early. I made lists on the family computer and would print them off about twice a week. I would go over it so many times and cross things off and pencil in more. I would overpack every single time! I remember lugging a suitcase behind me in the Atlanta airport that was almost bigger than my 13 year old self trying to keep up with the team. And to top it off I had a school sized backpack on my back packed with reading materials, another change of clothes, games, and other stupid things. When the week was up and it was time to go home I realized that I had worn one pair of pants, one pair of shoes, a few shirts and one hat. I had packed three pairs of pants, three pairs of shoes, two pairs of shorts, five t-shirts, a jacket, two hats, enough toiletries to give the entire village I was serving a bath and minty fresh breath. Most of the things in my suitcase didn't even get unpacked or unfolded. At the end of my trip I thought back to a boy my age I met on the trip in his little house. I could have fit every single one of his belongings in my backpack alone. I vowed to never overpack again!
We went as a church to Honduras a few more times. I finally got down to a backpack for the last trip. I had three shirts, four pairs of underwear, a pair of shorts, 2 pairs of socks, pen, paper, bible. The rest that was going on the trip I was either wearing or was in my pockets. I did all of that to keep from toting around a lot of luggage in the airport and still had to carry two suitcases for the other members on the trip 🙂
So I get a weird sense of excitement when I think about packing everything that I'm going to use for a year into a backpack. Well I have to buy the pack first, but you get the point. After looking around at packs online and in stores for a while one of the guys on my squad, Logan Needy, showed me his. It was everything I've been looking for; a few pockets, front loading U-zipper, seperate compartment for dirty clothes, and most importantly- plenty of room. So I think that I'm going to get the Gregory Balturo (spelling?) 65L pack. I think… haha I'm sure I'll see something cool at the REI store tomorrow in Atlanta, GA and start to doubt my decision, but who knows!
BUT without me rambling for a few more paragraphs, this is what I think I'll need for the trip:
- Pack
- My small Camelbak for day trips
- two pairs of glasses and maybe some contact lenses
- 4 pairs of quick-dry socks
- 4 pairs of quick-dry boxers
- 4 shirts
- two pairs of lightweight long pants
- one pair of shorts
- jacket
- thermal shirt
- watch
- lightweight strap belt with plastic buckel
- 3 pairs of shoes- sandles, nikes, hiking shoes (lowcut)
- Razor
- toothbrush
- ipad mini
- paper
- pack of pens
Thats all my list of consists of right now off the top of my head. I'm sure that I'll scratch a few of those ideas and replace them with more- but thats about it. I'll buy shampoo, toothpaste, deoterant, and other little things at the places we're going or when I need them. I'm sure I'll buy new shirts and things along the way as my clothes rip or break in any way. If anything else, I keep reminding myself that we are going to places where people live… and if they don't have something there that I can buy, well, then I don't need it.
oh and I just realized that this doesn't have spell check haha, so sorry about all of the horrible errors that this must have! Tell me in the comments below if I'm horribly wrong about some things or if I missed something!
