Showing posts with label packing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label packing. Show all posts

I'm leaving in the morning! Eeeek!

Namaste! I have to be at the airport in less than twelve hours. I’m packed, my clothes for tomorrow are laid out, I’ve paid rent and other bills, I’ve hugged and kissed family members and left the puppy in the care of my parents (she’ll be fine…I hope THEY survive). Now all I have to do is get a decent night’s rest…yeah…we’ll get to that in a minute. Blogging sounds like more fun.

How ‘bout I tell you what I packed for this grand adventure? Good plan? Thought so. I’m a seasoned traveler, so I’ve become fairly methodical in my packing - I’m only taking a medium checked bag and my small backpack (I wouldn’t advise a less seasoned packer to attempt such a feat).

In these bags I have:
Clothes (for two different climates)
A jacket
An extra pair of shoes (and flip flops for the shower)
A towel
A sleep sheet
Toiletries
A curling iron & straightener (though I’ve been told I’m not allowed to wear curls while I’m there…crazy things happen when I let my hair stay curly…crazy things)
A first aid kit
Like a thousand batteries (my camera eats them)
My Mountainsmith bag
An umbrella
A small sewing kit (I’ve needed it on every trip I’ve gone on, believe it or not)
Gifts for our hosts
My netbook & charger
My cameras (video & still) and chargers
A teensy tripod
Accompanying cords
My iPod & headphones & charger
A plug adapter (for all those chargers)
My journal
A book for the plane
My passport, ID, credit card, and cash
A folder with all of the information I could ever need

I’m sure there are other things, but that’s all I could remember off the top of my head. I also have a small bag full of all the gifts we’re taking to the orphanage (board games, candy, bracelets, stickers, pencils, toothbrushes, etc).

I can’t wait to get there. I know it’s going to be like nothing I’m imagining - we’ve been warned of that several times. I should arrive in Delhi about 9:30pm on Monday. I’ll update as soon as I can. ‘til then!

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Worst part of studying abroad? Packing...blerg

We're leaving in five days...FIVE. Wanna know what I've packed? Nothing...

Okay, that's not entirely true. I've packed my "gift" bag. We'll be visiting an orphanage while we're there, and I volunteered to coordinate gifts for the girls. The stuff I've collected takes up an entire suitcase (yay!), and THAT'S packed, but that's all. All of the other stuff I'll need is on my bed/my floor/in the laundry room/somewhere else in the house, but not in a bag.

Anyway, I figured I'd procrastinate a bit by giving you some info on the process that has led up to this trip. We've had five pre-departure classes meant to prepare us for the time we'll spend in the country. Each class has followed the same layout (presentations, discussion, lunch, Bollywood movie), but has differed in its focus.

Week 1: Intro & Basic Questions
Presentations: Background on certain historical figures (our group: CV Raman)
Movie: 3 Idiots

Week 2: History of India
Presentations:  Timeline of Indian History (our group: the Mughal Empire)
Movie: Mr. & Mrs. Iyer

Week 3: Culture of India
Presentations: Art, Music, Language, and Architecture of India (our group: Music)
Movie: Guru

Week 4: India today
Presentations: Foreign policy, Government, and Infrastructure
Movie: Rang de Basanti

Week 5: India today
Presentations: Economy, Culture, and Business Environment (our group: Economy)
Movie: Diwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge

All of the movies were FANTASTIC. If I were to rank them, it would look like this (starting with my favorite):

  • 3 Idiots
  • Rang de Basanti
  • Diwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
  • Mr. & Mrs. Iyer
  • Guru

(that was actually difficult. Other than 3 Idiots being the standout favorite, I like the others about the same. You should watch them ALL!)

I feel prepared-ish for the trip, but I'm also aware that nothing can fully prepare me for the next three weeks. I'm excited, and nervous, and in-denial-that-i'm-leaving, and sad-to-miss-Christmas-here all at the same time. Guess I should actually pack something...


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