Packing list – Eastern Caribbean

Everything packed.  49 lbs in the big bag and 47.5 lbs in my backpack.  Extra room in both all bags.


I’ve finished packing and wanted to share my method of packing, rather than a detailed list of every item I’m taking.  

I’m taking two large bags to be checked along with a small backpack, and a computer bag as carry on.  My small backpack should be sufficient for staging and the first few days of training on the island.  The rest of the stuff I think I might need during the few months of training is in one of the bags.  The second large bag, my backpack, is reserved for site and I should not need items from that bag during training.

Small backpack


I’ll be flying to Miami on Sunday afternoon.  Monday will be meetings and paperwork before final departure for St. Lucia Tuesday morning.  All I need for the first week is a few shirts, a pair of slacks, and such.  Not pictured in my shaving kit.  I also have a wallet and coin purse I use when abroad, keeping my American wallet and cards in a safe place.
Contents of small backpack for staging and initial training.

Computer bag


I have rechargeable batteries, and large battery pack with USB port that can charge my phone for a few days with "lights out", computer, external DVD drive, tablet, ipod, and  external hard drive that I don’t want to check.  I also have my head lamp to serve as my flashlight.  I have redundant cables for most items.

 I’m bringing a new journal to start journaling again and a photo album that my daughter made for me to show the host family and others.
Computer bag

Large bag for training


The bulk of my clothes will be in the large bag at 49 lbs.  This is a new bag that I got because my married daughter's 5th grade camping duffel that survived Ghana received a zipper injury during one of the security checks and I did not trust it to security and baggage handling.  Visions of an open duffel with contents scattered on a moving belt.

 I'm packing a swimming suit, shorts and my other pair of slacks  (I'm only bringing 2 and will buy replacements on island if needed).  I have a fair number of dress shirts (likely more than I need).  I also have a suit and some ties for formal requirements, such as swearing in.  In Ghana I mainly wore my African shirts I had made but I understand Eastern Caribbean schools can be a bit more formal so I'm only going to bring a couple of my colorful shirts.  I'm bringing a large pillow that may or may not leave the vacuum bag during home stay.
My cloths for training and the next years.




As an older volunteer I’m also taking my medicine including vitamins and such – about six months supply.  I’m taking a water filter and UV light for when I need really clean water.  I’ll bring my 2 yard (cloth) I had in Ghana and a bag for my cloths and one for shopping that may or may not become a host family present.  I’m bringing a knife sharpener as a host family present and a few hangers to get my started.  I also have a Frisbee for down time with the other volunteers.

 Another item is a roll of white duct (left over from Ghana).  I'll use this to mark the stuff I get from Peace Corps like med kit or such.
The power pack got moved to carry on after I took this picture - worried about check baggage restrictions.
I’m also bringing the rest of my underwear (I'm bringing 4 pair of travel underwear - I survived on 3 pairs in Ghana, washing a pair each day) an umbrella and some work gloves.  I will be wearing my hiking shoes on the flight and will have an older (but my best) pair of brown shoes, and a pair of sandals.  In Ghana I wore Birkenstocks or Keens to school.  I’m hoping my brown shoes will pass for dress shoes required by some headmasters.  I'm told that tennis shoes are frowned upon so I'm not even bringing my Birkenstocks this time.

Rest of my stuff in my backpack until I get to site.


The rest of my stuff will be in my backpack that should check in under 48 lbs.  I'm not planning on opening it until I get to site.  I’ll have a second swim suit and another pair of shorts along with a sweat shirt and a few other casual cloths.  I have exercise bands, two queen size flat sheets, and a couple of cool down cloths.  My Keens and water shoes will wait until I'm around the village and possible beach activities.

I have some kitchen knives, flexible cutting boards, stamps (but no ink pad), sewing stuff and the rest of my medicine along with extra toothbrush and a few other things.  I am bringing the egg container I used in Ghana.  I have some children books and a sleeping bag, I'm also bringing a french press, my new dad cup (after my previous dad cup vanished on my last day in Ghana), two reusable shopping bags, a small external speaker, and a Tai Chi dvd.


And the most outlandish thing - I’m bringing almost 4 lbs of plain M&Ms.  This bag is for my mental health during site restriction and beyond.  In Ghana such a bag lasted about a year with careful rationing.  I only need to eat a small handful every once and a while for medicinal purposes.  Optionally, if I need to reduce weight I can use the bag a ballast and share it with others during training.

 Not pictured are two boxes of Girl Scout Thin Mints that I will share with the host families.

 I’m also bringing the felt Christmas tree and stocking that Samantha sent me while in Ghana.  I'm not bringing my shortwave radio as I did not find SW service on the islands.



I'm also bringing a small number of zip lock bags.  I realize that a considerable amount of stuff I'm bringing are things I can get on island.

 I have plenty of extra room in both bags for things I get from Peace Corps during training or to rebalance items before traveling to site.  The extra room might come in handy if I return after 2 years with bulking items from the islands.  (Yes, I realize that bottles of rum are not considered bulky.)

Final word about packing

I figure most future Peace Corps volunteers worry about packing - I know I did the first time.  This is understandable given the 2 years.  Everyone makes packing mistakes and all can be fixed.  You can buy somethings in country, have othersshipped, or learn to live without things that you did not pack.  You can learn that some things are not important with things that you brought but never used.

 The most important thing in the last few days before staging is to spend time with family and friends, eating your favorite foods, and trying to relax.  To that end my daughter gave me a going away party yesterday.  Thanks to all who shared the day.
Daniel, Samantha, and I at the going away party.

Possible radio silence

I fly to Miami today for staging.  Monday will be time to fill out paperwork, some training, and a final decision before boarding an international flight.  On Tuesday morning I'll fly to St. Lucia for initial training, I think about 7 weeks or so.  I'll stay with a host family in a village for most of that time.  After Peace Corps decides which island and site I will get (a decision not likely made until at least a couple of weeks into training) I will either stay on St. Lucia or go to another island to complete training (a few weeks I think) while living with a different host family.  Afterwards, it will be back on St. Lucia for swearing in and then off to site with a 3 month site restriction (to help with integration).

 I expect that I will not be blogging during training so please excuse the radio silence.  However, I might be able to get a few pictures posted depending on internet availability.

Once I get to site I will work to continue weekly blog posts with pictures.

Hope everyone has a nice holiday and a good summer.  I'll be able to have visitors after site restriction - during Easter, Christmas, and summer school vacations.  You are all invited.

Love always,

John

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