We arrived in Bucharest yesterday afternoon and had the afternoon and evening to relax. I got new headphones as the left ear died a week into Serbia and the right has been in and out the last two weeks. Now I am repacking again as we have to check out of the hostel at 11 am and will head to the airport tonight.
I've been asked by a few people what is in my bags as I travel for the year and since I am repacking again I figured I'd break it down for your amusement.
I have my smaller backpack. In it, I currently have my netbook, kindle, ipod touch, nikon d7000 camera with an 18-270 lens tamron lens and my camera bag, lens cleaner, extra battery, battery charger and second 16gb sd card, mic headset to use on skype, canon powershot point and shoot camera with charger, extra battery and 2nd SD card, a 1tb external hard drive, a foreign currency adapter, my journal, a few pens, two packs of trident (because gum over here all includes menthol, think Vick's Vapor Rub, ewww) and a random assortment of change for the U.S., Serbia, and now Romania. I also picked up a 9×13 pan to use in cooking so that has made my pack now as well and I carabiner on my 1/2 l nalgene bottle. I did have sunglasses, but I lost the first pair over a waterfall and the 2nd pair playing Awana games in a field in Romania. Oops, looking for a 3rd pair now.
In my large pack (weighs about 42 lbs). For clothes, I have underwear for 2 weeks, 3 pair of socks, 2 button up shirts, 5 t-shirts, 1 sleeveless shirt, and 2 camisoles, 2 pair of pants that roll-up to capris, one pair of pants that convert to shorts, and 4 pair of basketball shorts. I have 3 pairs of shoes (a pair of Keen sandals, my running shoes and a pair of flip flops for use as shower shoes). I have one long-sleeve t-shirt, a long-sleeve light-weight shirt to protect from the sun, a light jacket, a rain coat and a hat. Because it was mandatory, I also have 2 skirts, one ankle length and one knee length. I also have a swimsuit and board shorts, sun screen, mosquito spray, a hat and a pack towel.
I have my toiletries and things like advil and allergy meds in my toiletry kit. I didn't pack a comb or brush so I am working on 9 weeks without combing my hair. I know there are a few of you cringing out there. I am sure I could borrow, but I think it would be entertaining to not comb my hair for a year.
For gear, I have our team water filter. We don't expect to need to use it, but better safe than sorry. I am also carrying the team 1st aid kit. I have my 2-person tent, footprint for the tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, sleeping bag liner (it's even pink), a small mess kit, a travel pillow, a cool pillowcase (thanks Ramona), my adapter set for my ipod, a solar adapter for use with electronic devices, my small and large gobi tripods, a book on India I picked up, The Help, and another fiction, an extra journal for when I fill the 1st one, 3 rolls of toilet paper, my malaria and stomach issues medicines, and 2 mini salt and pepper shakers filled with garlic, sugar, and cinnamon. Anything will taste a bit better with the addition of one of those. The gear part is all mandatory, but I've only needed about 1/2 of it so far. We will see if that changes over the next few months. The non-mandatory part is the frisbee I threw in that has been popular in both countries so far.
That is it. Life for a year when your home is your backpacks. I have definitely had "I wish" moments for what I wish I would have thrown into my pack. When it was freezing in Serbia, I regretted not packing a hooded sweatshirt. Who would have thought I could live for a year without a hoodie. But, I am learning to live without and It certainly makes getting dressed in the morning much easier when my selection is so limited.
This is what it all looks like without the clothes I am currently wearing:)
