Hey Everyone,
Sorry it has been a little while since I updated this thing. I've been pretty busy learning and reading as much as possible about Malawi, and running around trying to gather all the things I "think" I'll need for the next couple of years. I received my staging email from PC yesterday! I will leave Colorado on Feb. 25th and fly to Philadelphia where I will be for a couple days of orientation/staging, then take a bus to JFK, and fly to Malawi after a layover in Johannesburg, South Africa. In the rest of this post, I will finally put up my address where you can send letters and packages to me during training, and then write out my current packing list for those who are interested. Feel free to start sending letters, etc., b/c it will take awhile to get there, and I promise to write you back!
Mail-
Here's the address where you can send letters and packages while I am in training. for the first three months. Below that, I have pasted what the Peace Corps has to say about sending stuff in the mail to increase the likelihood that it will arrive. I also read that its a good idea to use a .98 cent stamp.
Phillip Rich
PCT Peace Corps
P.O Box 208
Lilongwe, Malawi
"Mail takes a minimum of two to
three weeks to arrive, often longer. Some mail may simply
not arrive (fortunately this is not a frequent occurrence, but
it does happen). Advise your family and friends to number their
letters and to include “Air Mail” and “Par Avion” on their
envelopes. Packages take six to nine weeks for airmail, and
surface mail packages take around six months. If someone is
sending you a package, it’s advisable to keep it small and use a
padded envelope so it will be treated as a letter." (Peace Corps Malawi Welcome Book)
Current Packing List-
Malawi/Mozambique Map
Malawi Bradt Travel Guide
Laptop (Thanks, Lori!!)
External Hard Drive (for movies,music,etc)
Camera
Tent (1-2 person)
Journal (Thanks, Quinn!)
Travel Umbrella
Guitar and extra strings
Mini Tamborine and mini maracas :-)
Deck of cards
Dice game (Farkle)
French Press coffee mug
Solio Solar Charger
Sunglasses (x2)
Small Binoculars
Nalgene (x2)
Crank Flashlight
Headlamp (x2)
Speakers for mp3 player
small photo album
Ipod
Cargo pants (x2)
Collared shirts (x2)
Socks (6 pr.)
Keen Sandals
Flip flops
Dress Shoes
Hiking Boots
T-shirts
Underwear
Khaki Pants
Running Shorts
Swim trunks
pajama pants
Sunscreen
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Razor and extra blades
Shave Cream
Deodorant
I also bought a 1.5 liter pressure cooker recommended by PC volunteers already over there, but it has not arrived yet. I have yet to do a "test" pack, but will do so soon and hopefully stay under the 80 lb. weight limit. This list will change soon, but I wanted to get the majority up on here for now. Thanks to all in advance for the love and support, and I hope to see many of you before I go.
Peace
