Thursday, May 13, 2010

100 pounds

As a volunteer going to a cold climate, I get the luxury of 100 pounds versus the standard 80 pound allowance given to volunteers going to a warm climate. At this stage in my packing development I only have a giant rubber bin that I am throwing things I want to take to Romania into as I pack up my apartment. Even as I do this the idea that I will fit everything that I want for the next 27 months into two bags that only total 100 pounds seems impossible. Perhaps I need to invest in one of those storage bag systems that they have on the infomercials that you attach to a vacuum cleaner to suck the air our of your stuff.

The clothing packing list provided in the pre-service training document seems extremely small:
  • Socks: 8-10 pairs
  • Winter socks (alpaca wool/insulated non-itch fiber): 2-4 pairs
  • T-shirts/Casual Tops: 4
  • Short-sleeved shirts: 3-4
  • Long-sleeved shirts: 2
  • Sweatshirts: 2-3
  • Medium weight pants: 2
  • Belt: 1-2
  • Swimsuit: 1
  • Summer weight pants: 2-4
  • Shorts: 1 – 2 pair (note: women seldom wear shorts in town, even when it’s sweltering hot)
  • Windbreaker/Gortex fleece lightweight jacket: 1
  • Durable hiking/winter boots: 1
  • Sneakers /good walking shoes: 1-2 pairs
  • Dress shoes: 1 pair
  • Dress skirt/pants: 2-4
  • Dress shirts: 2-4
  • Dress suit or sport coat: 1
  • Warm slippers: 1 pair
  • Long underwear: 1 pair
  • Pajamas: 2-3 pairs
  • Jeans: 4 pairs
  • Underpants, undershirts, and lingerie: 10 sets of undies
Soon I am going to have to put all my clothing in one pile and figure out what really fits; in the mean time I will just try to enjoy the luxury of my current wardrobe!

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