Packing List

I have a few odds and ends left to buy, but for the most part I am packed! I am spending a week in Seattle right before departure so I need to get this done sooner rather than later. It is my intention to post follow up information as time and experience gives me insight. I figure at a later date I will post a list including things I wish I brought and things I wish I had left behind.

This is what I have so far:

Electronics:
Laptop and charger
1TB hard drive
Solar charger and attachments
Bluetooth rechargeable speaker
Headlamp
Earbuds
iPod
Kindle
Adapter
Batteries
Flashlight
USB drives

Toiletries:
Body Wash/Face wash
Shampoo/conditioner
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Flossers
Razor/blades
Baby powder
Sunscreen
Nail clipper
Hair ties/headbands
Comb
Tampons (box of 18)
Menstrual cups (I have one Diva and one Lily cup)
Birth control (3 months)
Pumice stone
Tweezers
SPF lip balm



Clothing:
Knee-length skirt and dresses (5)
Pants- 1 tan linen and 1 black slacks
Jeans-1
Shorts- 1 plaid, 1 knee length cargo
Cardigans- 2
Tanks tops/undershirts- 5 in different colors
Thigh length tunic-1
Work shirts/blouses- 3
Casual shirts/t-shirts- 5
Leggings- 2
One piece swimsuit-1
Workout clothes- shirt, shorts, leggings
Raincoat
Bras- 2 normal, 2 sports
Underwear- 25
Socks- 2 dress, 2 sport
PJs- 1 pair
Hoodie- 1

Miscellaneous:
Quick-dry towel
Journal/notebooks
Pens
Hat
Sunglasses
Back-up glasses
Tiny frisbee
Umbrella
Knitting needles/yarn
Combo lock
Note cards
Family pics
Hammock
Duct tape
Watch
Peanut butter
Hammock
Games

Documents:
Private passport
Yellow vaccination card
Passport photos
Student loan paperwork
Vaccination records

Shoes:
Running shoes
Flip flops
Teva sandals
Boat shoes
Work flats

Everything should fit in my 75L hiking bag and one carry on. I feel like am underpacking on some things, at least compared to others. But I also believe that I am packing more than needed. I expect that I will be able to buy culturally appropriate clothing in Comoros. I don't want to bring much in the way of teaching material since that isn't very sustainable. I can live without American snacks and bath products. There is some specialty gear that I wonder if I will regret not having. I keep reminding myself that 735,000 Comorosians get by in Comoros just fine. And I am supposed to be living like a local anyway!

I will update as I discover everything that I have done wrong...


UPDATE: So I have received some advice and a care package that has added to my packing list. I picked up a number of games to use with the kids. I also bought some extra flashlights and basic supplies like sharpies and crayons. I've been convinced that one simply cannot come to Comoros without snorkeling gear. My best friend sent me a package with soap, pictures, and hanging clips. So I think I might end up using two checked bags instead of one! There are more pictures and details about my packing mishaps here: Packing Nightmare Continues

So... Where are you going?

It is time to talk a little about Comoros. When I tell people that I am leaving for Peace Corps service the first thing they want to know is where I will be going. The second question is "uh, where is that?" Which is the same question I had when I received my "under consideration" email.

Comoros is a chain of three volcanic islands off the coast of eastern Africa. It sits in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar. At just over 700 square miles between all of the islands, it is one of the world's smallest countries. To put it into perspective (for my US readers) Rhode Island, the smallest of the US states, is more than 1,200 square miles. For readers back home, Comoros is smaller than Jacksonville, FL. It is also among the world's poorest countries. They speak a language called Shikomor that is divided into island specific dialects. Travel between islands looks difficult; one of them is inaccessible by ferry. There is very little in the way of public transportation, and access to electricity and water is limited away from the cities. 

These facts have interesting consequences for Peace Corps service. Recently we completed a placement survey that asked us to honestly consider the conditions that we could work in and live under. I did my best to answer honestly rather than provide the answer that I knew the Peace Corps wanted to hear (which was actually rather difficult. Who wants to admit to being inflexible?) But a major difficulty was that while I was considering the conditions I can withstand in Comoros, I was sitting on my comfy couch, in a temperature controlled room, on my wifi-enabled laptop, drinking a nice cold beverage. 

Right now what I want for my PC placement is to be at a rural site, off of the main island. That would likely mean a house with no running water or electricity. There would probably be very little transportation available on the islands, and we are not permitted to casually travel off the island. The school where I would work (teaching English to secondary school kids) will likely be open-air, with no electricity and few textbooks or other materials for the students. This is the kind of site I have requested, but will I be able to hack it when I get there? I also suspect that the level of English spoken in the villages is very limited. That will make it all the more important to learn my local language, which is intimidating. I think the trick will be to have low expectations and a large amount of resolve!

Pre-departure and stuff

I depart for staging in about two weeks. I planned to spend the two month before departure in the States visiting my friends and family and making last minute preparations. I envisioned myself scurrying from one location to another with a giant "to-do" list right up until the end. Contrary to the experience of other volunteers, I have found that there isn't too much to do pre-departure. In my copious free time I try to study some French since it is spoken by governmental officials in Comoros, though not by most of the the population. I've been spending some time with my grandma learning to knit. I have been watching endless hours of documentaries and storing up audio books to stave off boredom during service. I have often considered going running (but then distract myself with something less productive and less strenuous).

Now that I have wasted away the month and a half I gave myself to prepare I find myself down to the wire. In a few days I leave for a week long trip to Seattle. Before that time I need to have my hair cut, extra passport photos taken, final purchases decided on and made, and I need to consider the most dreaded task- packing. Packing is something I think about often and seldom act upon. I have taken over the entire back room of my father's house. Piles of electronics, toiletries, and clothing await sorting to determine what will make the cut. I seek advice from anyone who will give it, even though I suspect that these are decisions I will have to make on my own. And I try to remind myself that people in Comoros have, you know, things. They have stuff. I don't have to bring all of my stuff from America. I can get it there. And it might even been culturally and climatically appropriate stuff.

An Introduction

Soon I will depart for my 27 month long Peace Corps service in the remote island chain of Comoros. When I do leave it will have been 11 months since I started this process. It's been a long journey and it hasn't even really started! I am part of the first Peace Corps cohort to serve in Comoros since the program closed in 1995. I anticipate that this new program in Comoros will provide many challenges and opportunities and I am hoping to use this blog to share my journey.

I'm spending my time before departing for service learning some French, having knitting lessons with my grandma, spending time with family, eating all of the food I will miss, and watching enough TV to last me a lifetime. I spent a year teaching English in Korea, and another six months in China but these 27 months in Comoros will probably be the hardest years of my life. But I am confident, as we all must be if we are undertaking this journey, that it will be worthwhile.



*If you are interested in more information about the Peace Corps application process you can check out my other blog, A Place in the Sun, which includes a lot of Peace Corps information that is not specific to Comoros.*