Final Packing List

For those who are curious, here is a list of EVERYTHING that I brought to Peru.
These all had to fit in two pieces of luggage (each weighing less than 50 lbs. and totaling less than 107") and a carry-on. Many of the items can be found here, but I didn´t know much about the selection, and a lot of things will be harder to obtain once I am on site.

Daily/Purse Items
Pocket-Sized Wallet
with Cash, Driver’s License, and Credit Card
Coin Purse with Change (most common here)
Passport Holder
with Personal and No-Fee Passports
Copy of No-Fee Passport and Visa
Decoy Wallet with Student ID
and a few American Dollars
Emergency Alarm
Sunglasses
Collapsible Umbrella
Immunization Records
Mini Address Book
Mini Brush
Mirror
Gum

Clothes
Tops
1 Tank
1 Nice Tee
2 Short Sleeved Blouses
5 T-Shirts
2 Long-Sleeve Tees
2 Light Sweaters
Bottoms
2 Pairs of Twill Pants
1 Pair of Slacks
1 Pair of Bermuda Shorts
3 Pairs of Jeans
2 Skirts
Outerwear
Zip-Up Jacket
Multi-Colored Pashmina
Multi-Colored Skinny Scarf
Fleece Jacket
Fleece Scarf
Stocking Cap
Lined Leather Gloves
Poncho
Underwear
18 Pairs of Underwear
16 Pairs of Socks and Stockings
7 Bras
1 Pair of Long Underwear
1 Undershirt
PJs
T-Shirt
Long Cotton Pants
Chenille Socks
Miscellaneous
1 Cotton, Knee-Length, Short-Sleeve Dress
1 Belt
1 Swimsuit
1 Sarong
Shoes
1 Pair of Sneakers
1 Pair of Birkenstock Sandals
1 Pair of Teva Flip Flops
1 Pair of Black Flats

Toiletries
Nail Kit
Clippers
File
3 Emery Boards
Scissors
Shimmery Nail Polish
Shower
2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner
Face Scrub
Razor with 4 Refills
Facial Moisturizer
Body Lotion
Wide Tooth Comb
Teeth
Toothbrush with Holder
Toothpaste
Floss
Eyes
2 Pairs of Glasses (Required)
7 Months of Contacts
2 Spare Pairs of Daily Contacts
Glasses Cleaning Solution
Contact Cleaning Solution
Contact Lens Case
2 Bottles of Eye Drops
1 Bottle of Allergy Eye Drops
Hair Supplies
Brush
Small Bottle of Texturizer
6 Claw Clips in Various Sizes
14 Hair Bands of Various Sizes and Colors
1 Barrette
12 Snap Clips of Various Sizes
20 Bobby Pins of Various Types
Makeup Kit
Loose and Pressded Powder
Foundation
Mascara
Eyeliner
Eyebrow Comb
Eyeliner Sharpener
Eye Shadow Duo
10 Plain and Shimmery Lip Balms
Tweezers
Jewelry Case
6 Pairs of Earrings
Spare Earring Backs
4 Necklaces
2 Bracelets
2 Ankle Bracelets
2 Watches
3 Scarf Pins
Miscellaneous
Deodorant
2 Small Bottles of Perfume
Cotton Swabs
Cotton Balls
Large Bottle of Hand Sanitizer
Oatmeal Soap Bar
Mini Hand Soap Sheets
Sport Sunscreen
Aloe Vera
Lint Roller
6 Travel Packs of Tissues
Travel Toiletries
Mini Shampoo
Mini Conditioner
Mini Clarifying Shampoo
Mini Face Scrub
Mini Lotion
Mini Face Lotion
Mini Toothpaste
Extra Toothbrush and Holder
Extra Floss
1 Spare Pare of Daily Contacts
Mini Deodorant
Mini Hand Sanitizer
Pressed Powder
Eye Liner
Mascara
Spare Tweezers
Mini Hair Spray
Mini Stick Sunscreen

Bags
25” Rolling Suitcase
55 Liter Hiking Bacpack
Overnight Bag
Backpack
Kidney-Shaped Travel Purse
Mini Purse
Mesh Tote
Foldable Reusable Bag
Peace Corps Shopping Bag

Gifts
Training Host Family
Calendar of Konza Prairie
Mini Calendar of North America
Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds
Site Host Family
Calendar of Konza Prairie
Mini Calendar of North America
Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds
Pet Tornado
For Kids
$1.00 in Pennies
Glow Sticks
Insect Bookmarks
Extras
2 other Kansas themed calendars
(I was told that Peruvians love calendars)

Mementoes from Home
Family Picture
Zen Calendar
Small Stuffed Animal
Photo Albums of Family, Friends, Home, and Travel

Games
2 Decks of Cards
Canasta
Korean Flower Cards
Mini Master Mind
Scrabble Tiles

Books
A Sand County Almanac
A Wrinkle in Time
The Catcher in the Rye
Fahrenheit 451
Pocket Spanish Dictionary

Art Supplies
Folding Palette with Watercolor Paints
Rollable Brush Mat with 12 Brushes
Pint Canning Jar for Water
Rag for Blotting, Masking Tape
4 Small Pads of Watercolor Paper
Box with Pencils, Sharpies, Charcoal, etc
Box with 15 colors of Micron Pens
Box with 12 colors of Pencils
Sunprint Kit

Electronics
Netbook with Sleeve and Manual
Camera with Sleeve and Battery Charger
Memory Card and Adapter, USB/mini USB Cord
I-Pod with Case and Charger Cord
3 Wrist Straps/Lanyards
Short Ethernet Cable
External Hard Drive with USB/mini USB Cord
5 Blank DVDs with Jewel Cases
2 512 MB Flash Drives

Travel Supplies
1 Outlet Adapter
Money Belt
Mini Laundry Soap Sheets
1 Liter Nalgene Bottle
~30 Ziploc Bags
2 Microfiber Washclothes
Small Jar of Peanut Butter
UV Water Purifier
Water Filter Kit
2 Pairs of Shoe Laces
Spare Sunglasses
Basic Sewing Kit
Reading Light
Flashlight
Ear Plugs
Eye Mask
Inflatable Pillow
Cocoon Travel Pillow
2 Combination Travel Locks

Medicine
Multivitamin
Homeopathic Sinus Medicine
Nose Spray
Sudafed
Bandages
Acetaminophen
Ibuprofen
Aleve
(They also provided us a very comprehensive medical kit)

Tools
Schrade Multitool
Swiss Army Knife
Interchangeable Screwdriver Set
Small Measuring Tape
Small Adjustable Wrench
Utility Knife
Gardening Gloves
Duct Tape

Office/School/Professional Supplies
Writing Utensils
14 Pens
2 Felt Tip Pens
2 Mini Pens
4 Mechanical Pencils
4 Pencils
Clic Eraser
6 Highlighters
120 .5 Pencil Leads
30 .7 Pencil Leads
Paper Supplies
Multitudes of Peace Corps Paperwork
1” 3-Ring Binder
Looseleaf Notebook Paper
3 Composition Books
1 Folder of Research
1 Legal Pad
1 5x8 Moleskine Journal
1 3x5 Moleskine Notebook
1 Notepad
5 Pocket Memo Pads
3 Accordion Folders of Various Sizes
First Aid Reference
1 Box of Business Envelopes
2 Dozen Blank Note Cards
300 Index Cards in Various Colors
3 Colors of Post-It Notes
4 Colors of Post-It Page Markers
Desk Drawer
Small Basket
3 Rulers
3-Hole Punch
Scissors
Tape
Double-Sided Tape
Mini-Stapler
Staples
Staple Remover
Push Pins
Binder Clips
Mini Triangle
Twist Ties
Paper Clips
Elmer’s Glue All
Extra Strength Glue Stick
Super Glue
Electric Pencil Sharpener
Key Padlock
2 Business Card Holders
Business Cards

Hola desde Lima!

My Peace Corps adventure officially started on Thursday morning when my parents dropped me off at the airport in Kansas City (after very little sleep). I flew to Washington DC and joined 77 other trainees and about half a dozen staff at a hotel. We turned in documents, proofed our passports and airline tickets, got loan deferment certification, and did about 6 hours of socializing, team-building, logistics and other preparations. We even got a surprise visit from the Peru country director and a couple of other staff. Finally at 7pm we were free to find group to walk with to go out to dinner, and then I showered, sent an email to my parents, and crashed by 10:45.

Friday morning we had to be up at 5:30, checked out by 6:30, and loaded onto the buses with our luggage by about 7:30. Our flight was supposed to leave at 12:40. It ended up being delayed by about an hour, which would have put us into Miami right before our flight to Lima would have left. However, with 78 of us we weren't too worried about missing our flight. We arrived in Lima 9:30 Peru time (which is technically Eastern time, but is Central time during Daylight Savings Time). By the time we got through immigration and customs, and then were told that there were problems with our bus reservation, we didn't get loaded onto mini-buses and out of the airport until 11:30. We finally got to a retreat in the far outskirts of Lima by 1:00.

Today, Saturday, we were up at 7:00. We spent most of the day learning more information about the different programs, getting our medical kits and money to pay our host families, giving our preferences about host family arrangements, and doing an interview in Spanish to determine in what level of class we should be placed. I can generally read Spanish pretty well, but I struggled a little trying to converse on the spot, especially when conjugating past tense verbs. I'm curious to find out what level I'm in. During our free time before dinner, several of us got to pick the brains of two volunteers that are almost done with their two years and have signed on for a third.

Tomorrow we will head out to our training centers. My group, Environmental Education, and the Water and Sanitation group will be doing our training at a new center in a suburb about an hour outside of Lima, while the Health group will be doing their training at the original center in a suburb about 30 minutes outside Lima. Then we will meet and go home with our host families...I am excited but nervous about this. I will be the only trainee in my family. I am very interested to meet these people, but I don't know what kind of family it will be (older couple, family with kids...) or anything else about the food or living situation. Mostly I am concerned about my level of Spanish and whether or not we will like each other.

So far I am enjoying myself. All of the other trainees seem nice, smart, and interesting, and I think the staff are even more excited to have us here than we are to be here. The weather here is beautiful, especially outside the smog of Lima, though I was surprised to have the sun set at about 6:30. I've liked most of the food, though it is a little different than what I am used to. I miss my family, friends, and familiar surroundings of course, but it is hard to feel lonely with so many like-minded people around.

Hasta luego para ahora!