SO here it is, the infamous packing blog:
Things I’m so glad I brought:
- • Silk eye mask (other ones made my eyes sweat, it’s something worth investing in because it will become the most favorite thing you brought, along with earplugs)
- • My clothes I would normally wear at home (but not a lot because if you like clothes you will want to buy them on the race as well, so seriously only bring a weeks worth)
- • The cute crocs (I actually think the official name is the sexy flip, look them up they’re a great 2-in-1 for the shower too)
- • My expensive massive 2in thick part memory foam, part self-inflating REI sleeping pad! (My friend who went on the race before me said I had bought the Cadillac of all sleeping pads and was going to regret how heavy it was, well… he was wrong everyone on my squad is jealous of my comfy bed and wished they had splurged. But don’t get me wrong it is heavy but to me it’s worth carrying. I usually slip my tent in the carrying bag and carry it on the plane with me so my bag doesn’t go over)
- • A clothes line, I bought one from REI but you should just bring a piece of small rope it will do the same, but either way it is super nice to have
- • 30 pairs of underwear (I would actually bring more like 45, they stuff real small in the smallest packing cube you can get)
- • packing cubes, they help my pack stay organized
- • a pack that has a separate compartment for my sleeping bag (I thought it was super important to get a front loading pack but I never open it from the front)
- • A sarong for a towel (Many people bought the REI quick drying towel and lemme tell you it is NOT quick drying and most of them acquired this very vulgar smell by the 3rd month)
- • THANK YOU CARDS!!
Things I wish I had brought:
- • Small washable pillowcase for my pillow (ended up just using a t-shirt which works fine, so whichev)
- • A BLACK SHARPIE!!! Or a couple to label stuff and I mean the thick ones, and they’re just good to have (can’t really explain this one just bring at least one)
- • External hard-drive or at least a USB that holds more than 8 gigs so you can back up your pics and hold movies
- • The Sea to Summit airporter!!!!!!!!! It’s the only one that you can unzip just the straps to come out so you can put the whole thing on your back without taking your pack out. THIS IS ESSENTIAL because caring any other airporter is just about impossible even for men, or at least it painfully digs into your shoulder while you walk a few miles to your lodging site. (a 5min walk will feel like a few miles)
- • The Charles Shwab card!!! No ATM fees!!!!
Things I brought that I wish I hadn’t:
- • Gobs of meds (they’re heavy and most things you’ll need you can find, just bring the antibiotics, malaria meds, and vitamin C packets or electrolyte tablets)
- • The amount of clothes I brought (I tried to pack for all seasons but you’ll just end getting stuff when you need it, then you’re not carrying it around if you don’t)
Smart things to think about bringing:
- • Rubber gloves, not a necessity but one girl on my team brought them and they were pretty useful since you end up washing LOTS of dishes , or small working gloves for doing labor but again not a necessity
- • A guitar (if you have one but don’t play it, this is a great place to learn) However it is heavy and annoying to carry around but music seems to bless people a LOT on the race (also a tip, be ready to sing in front of people even if you NEVER sing or are awful, you will be told to sing many times over the race.)
- • Dryer sheets and a travel bottle of Fabreeze to keep everything from smelling like poo (Because you will smell smells more horrid than you could imagine, and they will seep into all your things) …again that’s a choice.
Advice:
- • Have more than $1600 for spending because refills on essentials like shampoo, soap, etc is not included in the money you have to raise. Also when staying places you often want to leave it better than you came so you will have to buy cleaning supplies each month, that usually comes out of your own pocket for some reason. Snacks for travel days are your own money and many off days for some reason we were on our own for meals. Or they do the budget wrong and don’t give you enough to eat on (In China we were given a USD a day which is 6 yuen, and we were in a city with no means to cook for ourselves and one meal was usually 10 or 20 yuen) ah but that’s the race 🙂
- • Your going to preach the Word so make sure you know the Word and if your coming on the race for any other reason than to Glorify God please don’t go.
- • Before leaving ask God to reveal anything in your heart that needs to be laid at His feet, anything you need freedom from, forgiveness for, or even to grieve. (you can’t effectively embrace your future if you have yet to grieve your past) This is a work that may not be finished in you before you leave but it will help start the process of transformation and Him shaping you more like Himself. It will help you to open up quicker to what God has for you on the race and for your life. It will open your eyes to what He’s asking of you so that you can obey and witness His Holy Spirit at work!
- • Brush up on your children’s songs and maybe look up a few ways to go about doing childrens’ ministry (crafts, skits, memory verse activities, etc) our route visited a lot of orphanages and I wish I would have done this so I could have poured into the kids a little better.
- • Remember that you will only be gone a year, some days it will feel like a very long time…but it’s not, everything you had before the race will be there when you get back so enjoy what has been given to you each month because next month it may be gone. (You can go at least a year without anything, believe me because God always provides what you need) (So don’t go on a quest for McDs every month and miss out on what you can’t experience in the states)
- • I brought my big fat ESV study bible and it was heavy to lug around but very worth it (after all that book is why you’re going on the race) so many people always want to borrow it, sometimes I can’t even find it, so if you have your own bring it, or maybe think about investing in one before you leave.
- • KEEP BLOGGING! (Try at least twice a month if not more, it’s a ministry of its own and that support and following is great encouragement)
- • One thing that could be an awesome idea would be to start a fund now for people to donate money for you to buy bibles in the language of what ever country you are in during the race to give away to someone you connect with. (I really wish I would have done this)
- • Remember that God is your ultimate authority at all times and He is the one you answer to (Don’t let the devil get you all caught up with the politics of AIM, because I doubt you came to serve AIM but I’m sure you came to serve God)
- • Always remember you are representing Christ and He lays out opportunities to use you all the time, but it may be on the plane, or train station, etc, it may not be at your ministry location. So don’t forget that wherever you are or whatever you are doing you have the ability to be a witness, but as well, the ability to change a person’s perspective of a Christian good or bad.
