Two people. Three months. Four carry-ons and two bags to check.
Never before have I been required to pack so strategically as for an upcoming 99-day trip to Puerto Cayo, Ecuador beginning one week from today.
I’m typically a throw-it-in-the-bag-the-night-before-the-trip kind of guy, but that won’t work this time. There’s a house to furnish, a business to set up and hopefully a little fun to be had in the midst of it all.
It reminds me of the old trivia question – If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one thing you’d take with you?
Six days out, here’s my strategic packing plan.
CLOTHING – Shorts and jeans, mostly pullover short-sleeved shirts, two pairs of boots (one for dress, one for work), running shoes and shorts as I plan to be back in half-marathon shape when we return in April, and plenty of hats and caps for protection from the sun.
TECHNICAL: Two laptops, Kindle Fire, Nano, lots of jump drives and memory cards, two cell phones, my new Nikon D-3200, and Rosetta Stone which I’ve hardly used to date.
BOOKS – My New American Standard Bible, and The Prayer of Jabez.
TOOLS – A few screw drivers, hammer, measuring tape, flashlight, bungee straps and zip ties.
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: Every kitchen utensil that will fit in every available nook and cranny.
MONEY – Several thousand dollars, mostly in $20s and under. Hundreds don’t spend well in Latin America.
LEGAL: Passports, birth certificates and marriage license.
ENTERTAINMENT: A collection of 80s music CDs from my favorite artists, and a nearly a hundred movies on DVD.
INTANGIBLES: A willingness to unlearn my cultural biases, hopeful desire to learn how to chill out more often, and an adventuresome spirit. And a new golf swing I hope to perfect in the southern hemisphere summer that maybe, just maybe, might put me in the high 70s.
INSPIRATIONAL: A small desk moniker that reads: “Never, never, never, never give up.” It got us this far, and I hope it will take us a bit further.
-30-
the view from your new window and my toes in the sand would be the only “entertainment” this small town girl would need. Wish you both the best of everything…hope your trip is productive, successful, and loads of fun. What an adventure! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Watkins!
So excited for you two! God has great things in store for you. So, relax and enjoy it. Can wait to read all about it as it happens.
We’re trying to relax, but it sure is hard.