What to Bring

I find it funny that one of my friends asked me tonight, "Who actually reads your blog?!" Only to find out I am just shy of 2800 readers.. So thank you all, in his words I appreciate.  And if he ever stumbles on this one post I hope it makes him smile, mostly out of annoyance.

To the matter at hand:

If you are ever planning an trip as an international servant some things you should know. Its a "Leave the gun, take the cannoli" type of situation. There are certain things one can afford to leave behind, and for the few countries i have lived in, four.. I can at least share some of my pent up knowledge.

As a rule I take these five things, no matter where I am headed. It  just has worked out that they are always useful.

1)     Wet wipes (baby or antibacterial)  -Wonderful for when you have no water and need a quick clean or wonder if the person ahead of you had e coli-

2)     Pain killers, ibuprofen  -you never know what kind of meds you can get so have at least a bottle-

3)     Re-hydration tablets  - LIFE SAVER anyplace hot, have these on hand and get into the habit of drinking them-

4)     Power bars or breakfast bars (at least 15)  -eating habits differ from place to place always have a snack  in case they give you dinner at 10 pm and you had lunch at 11-

5)     Flashlight with one extra set of batteries (or solar one) –self expiatory-

 

Puerto Rico

So technically this is part of the US, but when you get there or if you have already been there, it’s more like an 2nd world country.

They have Walmart, Walgreens and Applebees. So in short there is not much you really need to bring that you can’t get in the states. The only things that can run a bit expansive are paper products, notebooks, calendars and so forth. I do suggest in inventing in a small handheld blender, perfect for fresh smoothies. The fruit you can get fresh makes the best breakfasts..

Bahamas

I had the great pleasure of staying the Bahamas a few different times, exploring three of the islands out of 700 of course. Everything there is way more expansive. They have very little that is produced there so importing ta is sky high. Even most of the meat, besides fish, is brought in so is priced ridiculously high. Consider becoming a vegetarian while there if you are on a tight budget.

Also if you have white girl hair, like myself, bring your shampoo.. to get it there is not cheap and sometimes impossible to find.

Sunscreen, hand held fan, a hat or umbrella is a must for the intense heat.

Fruit and fish are cheap as well as rice and chick peas, a local favorite. Basically anything you think you need bring to this place otherwise you could have to live without unless you are on Paradise Island. 

Ecuador

Besides the 5 things I always bring.. For here I would suggest no small amount of Pepto-Bismol (stomach relief). The weather ranges here so be ready for anything in one day.

If you have clothing you don’t feel like you need to keep take it along and sell it at the end of the trip.

I love bringing the roll up water bottles everywhere once I have finished the drink it’s an easy carry.

I found things I needed were easy to get here, most people have wifi and in some areas you can wait for a delivery truck to come by and you can grab your groceries from him instead of walking to the store down the street. Dvds are cheap and they let you watch part of it to make sure the quality is good. 

Zimbabwe

Medicine is cheap so is the alcohol here.

White girl shampoo again is hard to come by and is way overpriced. (Normally because

the ones buying it can afford it to be a bit more.) Make sure to have a first aid kit with you, just because meds are cheap doesn’t mean Band-Aids or roll gaze is.

They have great coffee, tea and such here if you decide to splurge on anything I’d bring a coffee syrup.. It can make a difference after five months to have a cup that is just like home.

Make sure that you have a power bank with you, lately the power has been fine but it hasn’t been all that great over the years. Thinking in terms of solar is best, no lack of sun there. If you are there for a while serving in the field you may want to bring one or two Tupperware bins to hold food. They cost a ton here and having a few has been a great investment. I even bought a small non-stick skillet and it was such a great thing to bring. They are mucho $$ here. (I also bought in packets of my favorite seasonings like taco mix for dinners.)

Overall if you are a picky eater or someone who has lots of allergies you may have a bit more to overcome for those who don’t. Being an international servant or need greater is all about leaving the comfort zone in every way. Be prepared to get dirty, get hungry (at least once), get tried, get sick and get annoyed or aggravated. Sometimes you sit down and go over the pros and cons of this path you’ve chosen and in the side of Pros, you have: Reaching Out to Serve My God…its all worth that pain, annoyance and extra cost. I suggest taking a few articles with you so that if everything goes wrong you have something to bring you back to the focus.

 This is where my memory stops, if you have any questions about something I may have forgotten about please ask, it might help jog my brain. I have been other places but these are the major spots I have spent more than a few weeks at, so focused on those.