Ready, set...

This Sunday I leave for Uganda again - two months this time, unless my trip gets extended (which is always possible). So, for the last weeks I've been mentally preparing, of course, but now it is time to pack. For shorter trips to Africa, I have this down to a science - I know exactly how many interchangeable outfits I need, what types of drugs, even how much toothpaste.

I mentally divide packing into three parts:
1. throwing lots of clothes on the floor in organized (but only in my mind - you would never know it) piles
2. shopping for various snacks & gathering the equipment I'm supposed to take to our field office
3. sorting/jamming into my suitcase.

My girl Maggie always says she can't believe the amount of stuff I fit into a tiny suitcase - it used to cover an entire room in our old apartment. We called it 'the loading station.'

This time it's a little different - I'm taking the big suitcase. I know, that fact in & of itself overwhelms me. Secondly, I am taking options for what to wear - highly unusual... Anyway, this website is normally what I use to create a sweet packing list: http://www.onebag.com/ - the guy's theory is that you can pack everything you need for 3 months of travel in one carryon size bag. Amazing. The most important rule is to not pack anything that is not on your list - that's the hardest for me - I mean, what if I end up needing that extra headband?


I won't burden you with the endless details of my packing list (it involves a big trip to Trader Joe's), but here's what my room looks like in packing stage #1: