Philadelphia Here I Come

I'm writing this from my dining room table, enjoying my last night at home. I'm all packed, but afraid to weigh my luggage. Last time I weighed it, it was 10 lbs over...I've let it sit for a few days so maybe some of the weight just went away. It was much more difficult to pack for Cameroon than for college. Unlike my freshman year of college, you can't drive an SUV stuffed to the brim with random things and ask mom to send another huge box of forgotten items to the Peace Corps. A question that is probably brimming in your mind is so how much can you bring for your two year move? The answer: 80 lbs. Let's just say my sister, Kyle, looked at the amount of clothes I was bringing and almost fainted. If you're curious here's a list of things I'm bringing, if you're not please do scroll to the next paragraph.

Packing List

Clothes
3 Cotton button up shirts
4 Tank tops
4 light-cotton t-shirts
1 Black Yoga Pant
1 light fleece
1 Capri
2 long cotton dresses
4 long skirts
2 pairs of workout shorts
1 raincoat
1 Kahki pant
1 pair of jeans
15 underwears
4 pairs of socks
2 boxer sleep shorts
1 light jacket
1 bathing suit
2 paschmina scarves
Sox baseball cap
bike gloves

Shoes
Ecco Offroad sandals
Black flats
flip-flops
sneakers
nice sandals

Toiletries
Toothbrush
Mini Toothpaste
2 visine
5 deodorant
hand mirror
face wash/lotion
Q-tips
Cheap razors
Fingernail clipper/nail file
2 pairs of tweezers
5 mini hand sanitizer bottles
3 month supply of prescription drugs
1 contact case
1 bottle of contact solution
2 boxes of contacts
2 pairs of eyeglasses
1 pair of prescription sunglasses
Eyeglass strap
Glasses repair kit
Haircutting scissors
Hair ties/hair bands
Small amount of makeup
2 washclothes
Comb
Super absorbant towel
Travel size shampoo/conditioner/ body wash
Large conditioner (2)

Kitchen
can opener
potato peeler
measuring cups and spoons
2 nalgene bottles (0.5 and 1 liter)
plastic storage containers
ziploc bags
1 kitchen knife and sharpener
medium size non-stick pan
Crystal Light packets
Spices

Entertainment
Gateway Laptop
Digital Camera w/ extra memory card and battery
Ipod Nano and speakers
2 sets of headphones
1 4 GB USB magic stick
Solar powered watch
Travel Alarm clock
LED head lamp
Handcrank LED lantern
Swiss Army Knife
Books
French Correction software
Handcrank Flashlight
Adaptor/Convertor set
Battery charger/rechargable batteries/regular batteries
Solio Solar Charger
Stationary

Misc.
American stamps
2 journals
Address Book
Non-dry pens
pencils w/ sharpener
Colored pencils
2 rolls of duct tape
2 combo locks/Luggage locks
Pillow
Light bed sheets
Human Phys Book
Deck of cards
Games: Uno and Set
Earplugs
Bike lock
Sewing Kit
Peace Corps Paperwork
12 passport size photos
money belt
Copy of Visa & Passport
Yoga Mat

Little Gifts
Bubbles (actually these are for my own entertainment)
Nail polish
mini lotion
crayons/pens

Luggage
1 LL Bean Rolling Duffle
1 Jansport Hiking Backpack
1 carry on bag
Small backpack/purse

Actually the 2 Costco sized conditioner bottles are on their way to Cameroon already...they weighed 8 lbs together, which is kind of embarrassing. My love for Garnier conditioner and silky smooth hair very quickly overcame any shame in receiving more hair product than probably all the other trainees put together. I put a picture of my packed luggage...I'm still debating about bringing the yoga mat.

My luggage and carry on

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Philly with my mama for a two day predeparture training. It doesn't actually start until Wednesday afternoon, but I'll have a day to hang with my mom and I'm also meeting my bro for dinner tomorrow. To put it lightly, this should be an interesting few days.