How to survive the race as a Girly Girl.
No doubt about it, I am the definition of a girly girl.
I like all things girl.
My love languages are nail polish, makeup, headbands, and clothes.
Everyone knows me as the girly one.
So if you’re anything like me, and you are also going on the race, here’s my advice on do’s and dont’s on packing.
DO:
1.) If you wear makeup at home, whether it’s simply mascara and blush, bring it! You might be on the race but you’re still going to want to look and feel yourself. I brought a few of my favorite things and I am so thankful for it.
2.) Bring nice clothes, but not something you wouldn’t mind getting a little rugged (you’ll be hand washing for 9-11 months so naturally, the quality won’t be as good as it was when you left). I brought one of my favorite dresses and I wear it all the time. Along with the makeup, you’re going to want to look cute. Bring the cute jeans you absolutely love, and bring the shirt you love to wear with it. I would say bring around two to three pants/jeans you adore and about five or six shirts/dresses you love. Remember you’ll be dropping things as well as picking things up during your time on the race. You won’t regret it. Also, there will be opportunities to go to the beach and so bring a one piece that you like because you will wear it at one point or another.
3.) If your nails are usually painted at home, buy a couple of your favorite colors and bring them with you. I brought a couple of my favorites from Urban Outfitters and I love them. I have found that I like it much better when they’re painted, and some of my squad mates bought polish on the race because they didn’t bring any. My advice, bring a couple of your favorite colors/favorite brands from home!
4.) This one might sound childish, but you’re not going to regret it. Bring a comfort item. I brought a little stuffed dog I have had since I was a kid, and literally it has been comforting to have when I miss home. Obviously don’t bring something majorly big because two bags can’t fit everything, but if you own some sort of comfort item, bring it.
5.) Shoes. On the race I started off with a cute pair of sandals, some nice white flats, tennis shoes, and chacos. I originally hated chacos (still not over the moon about them but they have grown on me) but I will say that my sandals broke in the third month. So yes, bring a pair that you think are so cute (my white flats are still going strong) to wear on days when you’re not walking much or doing anything really physical, but also bring a couple pairs that you can get dirty.
6.) I have a James Avery charm bracelet and ring that I wear everyday, as well as some other jewelry that I love to pair with different things. Bring your favorite necklace, if you wear rings on the reg, bring them. You’re going to feel weird if you don’t have the things you like to wear. I’m not saying bring your entire collection, but bring the things that will make you happy.
DONT:
1.) Don’t make the majority of your clothes basketball shorts and old t shirts if that is not what you wear at home, because trust me, if you don’t like them at home, you’re not going to like them any more on the race. I’d say bring maybe 1 or 2 t shirts and the same goes for the shorts. I’ve only done manual labor a handful of times.
2.) Don’t bring anything you don’t like. I bought some blue jean knee-length shorts from academy a couple weeks before my race, and my mom, knowing me well, told me to leave them here because I’d never wear them. And she was right, if I had brought them it would have been a waste of space. If you don’t like it, save you the space and just leave it at home.
3.) I wouldn’t suggest bringing a curling iron or a straightener, not everywhere you go will have electricity to even plug it in, and sometimes, it might catch into flames, as it did to one of my squad mates I believe month 1. I straighten my hair all the time at home, but the race has helped me see my natural hair in a new light, as some would say, and going home will be even sweeter because I’ll have that luxury again.
4.) If you like lacy underwear, do not bring it on the race. It gets worn out and gross looking and it tears and it’s just not worth it.
No one ever told me that I would have events that I should dress nice for, however, I have attended a wedding, different churches, and different events that required you to look a certain way, so don’t be afraid to bring the cute stuff you love.
And remember, this is not for everybody, just the fellow girly girls like myself. Also, don’t stress yourself thinking about what to pack and what to leave behind. There will always be places to pick up certain things where you are, and there will always be a free table at the end of each place. (If you don’t know what I mean by that, you will soon.)
