Here Goes Nothing!

This is what moving to Cameroon for two years looks like:


My bags are packed. I am ready to go. The above luggages weigh less than 100 lbs. Those are both the check-in bags and carry-ons. I still was on the over-packing side, brining more books than necessary. This afternoon, I was all kinds of nervous while tying up many lose ends. But now that everything is completed, I am surprisingly calm. But I was still calmer moving across the globe 10 years ago at 11 than I am now at 21. Either way, this is going to be GOOD. :)

There are many dear friends that I did not get to say a proper goodbye or have a needed phone date. But those dear ones are dear for a reason. They'll be there for me without the last goodbyes, or so I hope.

Now, let's begin round II.

Packing List!

Finally, I had the time to compile my own packing list. This is a culmination of the official list and suggestions from other volunteers. If you are a family member or friend who is planning on buying me a graduation/going-away present, feel free to get ideas from my Amazon wish list!

This list will be revised several times prior to departure! Comments in red are my thoughts after being in Cameroon. As a general note, you need to bring enough stuff to deal with the first 3 months in training, before you get the hang of shopping in Cameroon. After that, you can buy most things you need here in country.

General Clothing

[Peace Corps is all about "business casual" during the initial 3 months of training. So bring enough for that. It's a relaxed definition - basically just wear nice clothes, no shorts, etc. After training, there are plenty of chance to buy clothes for cheap in the "frip", or getting them made."]

short-sleeve collar shirts (4)

dark cotton t-shirts (5)

casual tees (5)
jeans (1) [Depending on where you live, this may or may not be necessary. They are very difficult to wash by hand.]

knee-length (or longer) skirts (4)

light linen pants/light PJ

athletic shorts (2)

long shorts (1)
leather belt
socks (10)
rain jacket [essential for the rainy season!]
thin sweatshirt
jean jacket
swimming suit

earrings (5)

hair clips/ties (many)

Shoes
Casual Shoes(Teva Makayla)
Sports Sandal (Teva Omium) [not all the necessary. I only wore it once to go on a hike that nearly killed me. Not that useful if you aren't super sporty.]
Waterproof Sandal (Keen Bali)
Sandal (Teva Downtown OLA) [casual yet a bit dressy sandal like this was great. I wore this pair of shoes almost everyday for the first 8 months at post.]
Running Shoes

Personal Hygiene/Toiletry
Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer (one medium-size bottle)
Vitamin/herbal supplement
Body Wash (2)

deodorant (2)
Lotion (1)

Sunscreen (1)

Insect Repellent (higher deet %) [didn't end up bringing this, and isn't necessary. Peace Corps provides them.]

Prescription Drug (3 months) [general rule for meds: PC will provide all the regular over-the-counter stuff you need from the moment you arrive, the prescription drugs take a while, so they recommend 3 months initial supply]
Allergy Meds
Pain Killers
Cold/flu medicine
Tums/Chinese tummy meds
Prescription Eyeglasses (2) [PC advised against wearing contact lenses, but I ended up wearing it for most of two years. It wasn't a problem. Just be sure to bring a lot of contact solution!

Sunglasses

Facial toner (2)
Face lotion (1)

Tissue

Cotton Rounds

Q-tips
Diva Cup/sanitary wash [highly recommended for girls!]

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

Hair gel (2)
Leave-in Conditioner
Loofa (1)
Toothbrush (2)
Toothpaste (1)
Floss (3)
Hairbrush (1)
Tweezer, Razor/blades

Nail kit/clear nail polish

Minimal make-up (2 eye-liners & eye-shadow)
Earplugs
Small hand towels
Travel Towels (2)

Eye Mask

Office Supplies
notebooks (4)

Books
Writing utensil

Project-related books [didn't end up bringing these and weren't necessary.]
Journal (1)

18-month weekly planner

scotch tape

scissor

CD-RW(1)

Kitchen Supplies
Plastic storage containers [possibly the best thing I brought with me. Pack your things in them. They are SO useful! tupperwear rock!]
Measuring cups and spoons
Ziploc style bags
Swiss army knife
Snack food
Small nonstick frying pan
Small cutting board
pairing knife
peeler
Light weight packaged food

Can opener

Spices

Luna Bars [These were incredibly great in the beginning when you aren't totally used to the food and the eating pattern, and there weren't much snacks to be bought.]

Emergen-C
Crystal Light/Propel packets

Electronics
iPod+travel speakers
Macbook [if you are bringing a computer, make sure you back up your files at home, and also bring an external hard drive - load that puppy up with movies, TV shows, language learning resources (French movies, etc) - be prepared for something bad to happen to your computer at some point during the service. the horrible electricity in Cameroon does damage. If you are buying a new one to bring, I recommend those cheap Netbooks.]
Cannon SD 450 Powershot + extra memory cards
Solio Classic hybrid solar charger [not necessary if short on money. but very useful as a backup battery, especially if you get posted somewhere power cuts a lot, or no power at all. - although I think for most PC countries/posts, this isn't necessary.]
Hand-Crank Emergency/Shortwave Radio [great for those quiet nights when the power goes out. I just got a cheap one and it picks up Radio France International and other local channels]
USB Flashdrive (2)
Power Adapter/Converter Kit

Luggages
Eagle Creek Grand Voyage 90L Travel Pack
Eddie Bauer Rolling Duffle

Daypack
Moneybelt

Miscellaneous
Passport-size photos (12) Got them at ePassportphotos.com via Snapfish. So much cheaper!

PC Handbook/paperwork

Loan paperwork
Pictures/album
Postcards/decoration for house
World Map [Great for decorating the house and the neighborhood kids love them!]
Book of puzzle
Stationary/greeting cards
U.S. stamps
Freeplay Energy Hand Crank LED Lantern
Hand-Crank Flashlight [very essential! I also wish I brought a headlight since those frees up your hand if you are trying to cook in the dark, etc.]
Nalgene Bottle
Reliable Watch
Travel Alarm Clock
TSA Approved Combination locks [these were useful. I used them to always lock my bags when I was traveling, just to give myself a piece of mind. The number combination is nice since you don't have to worry about losing keys.]
Calculator
Good quality umbrella
French pocket Dictionary

Pocket-sized French Verb Guide
Compressible Pillow
Travel Sheet Set
Laundry Bag

Laundry stain remover

Clothing Line
Small mirror
Duct Tape
Jump Robe

Deck of Cards

Gifts for Locals
Inflatable globe ball
Boxes of Crayola crayons (2)
STL/USA stuff