I know the new Moz group is gearing up to head out pretty soon here, and lots of people are thinking about packing. Trying to fit what you think you might need for the next two years of your life in a foreign country into two bags is extremely stressful. So I thought I would share my packing advice here for future Moz PCVs and the various other future PCVs who stumble upon this blog! It is totally just my opinion though so take it for what it is worth.
MY FAVORITE THINGS I BROUGHT (or in the case of a couple, got sent to me, in no particular order…):
• A headlamp!!!
• Pack towels (fold tiny, quick-drying)
• Battery-operated speaker (can get them for like 10 bucks at best buy. Use it to play music in the house from my iPod, or plug it into my laptop while watching movies, etc. I use it everyday)
• Lonely Planet Mozambique and Southern Africa
• Pictures from home
• A couple high quality, SHARP cooking knives (with a sharpener if possible. Knives here suck)
• A garlic press
• Real coffee! (and a French press) (everyone drinks instant coffee here. Real stuff is hard to find and really expensive)
• Crystal Light single-serving drink packets
• A good dictionary! I have the Collins Portuguese concise dictionary and it has helped me a LOT. (In our training we only got pocket ones. This will be different for other groups, so it could just be a waste of packing space…)
• Spices (mixed ones are great, like Italian, Cajun, taco, steak, curry, etc)
• A couple boxes of pens!!!
• Construction paper and markers (you can find these here though)
• A roll of duct tape
• Lots of ziplock bags in different sizes
• Rubber bands
• Under Armor
• My laptop and iPod
• A good journal (I wasn’t a big writer in the States, but have a lot more time here)
• Two pashminas that go with everything (wear as a scarf in the cold, an easy wrap to keep on you, etc)
• Basic, cheap jewelry
• Flash drives, and extra memory cards for my camera
• My hammock
• My backpacking bag (for longer trips) and my daypack (use everyday)
• My running shoes
THINGS I WISH I HAD BROUGHT:
• Rechargeable batteries and a charger, AA and AAA
• My favorite movies (how did I not bring these. IDIOT) and TV shows
• Hugo, Portuguese In Three Months (GREAT book for helping with language)
• A big, comfy hooded sweatshirt and/or a heavier jacket
• More warm clothes
• More non-spaghetti tank tops
• A midweight sleeping bag that has a stuff sack and is easily packable
• A travel pillow and a folds-really-small ThermaRest
• A small mirror with large magnification
• More high-SPF sunscreen (the sun is murderous)
• Lots of bobby pins!!!
• A flash drive or external hard drive with huge capacity (to pass around movies and TV shows) and with virus protection
THINGS I WISH I HAD LEFT AT HOME:
• A bajillion medicines (bring some stuff, but PC gives you a fairly comprehensive medical kit and can provide something else should you need it)
• Anything (clothes-related) that is white! Wear it once here and it will never be white again. Totally not worth it.
• Boots (I have never worn mine. Other people will say otherwise)
• All my clothes that need to be ironed and pressed. I brought several button-up shirts from Express and two pairs of dress pants. Maybe one of each are good, and for some people it might be really important, but for me they are unnecessary
THINGS I WISH I KNEW THEN…
• Africa is where clothes come to die. Okay, exaggeration, but not really. You will wash your clothes by hand in a rough manner and they will sit out in the scorching sun to dry. It really wreaks havoc on your clothes. So bring stuff that isn’t going to fall apart right away (no flimsy cotton), BUT also don’t bring anything expensive that you want to have post-Peace Corps. It is better to leave that stuff at home.
• It gets cold here. Okay it is all relative, but in the “winter” I was sleeping in everything I own (leggings, sweatpants, wool socks, shirt, underarmor, jacket, scarf or hat, under like ten blankets). Okay so it’s probably not technically cold, but you will FEEL cold here and since you won’t have heat anywhere and your house will be drafty, bring a few things for the cold.
• You will want to dress normal and feel pretty (or at least average looking, let’s be honest, we’re all dirty). Don’t bring safari-ish clothes that you wouldn’t be caught dead in at home. You won’t wear them here. Bring some cheap jewelry, your makeup, whatever makes you feel okay about yourself. You will want it when you are out here!!!
Okay so these things are just my personal opinions so take it for what its worth. Ask other volunteers in your country as well, people can offer different insights. Good luck and don’t stress. If you make it here with your bags more or less in one piece, you have succeeded ? I will add other things if they come up. And will solicit more volunteer insight as well! Tchau!
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