[We got this rushed message from Jes late Tuesday night; by the time you read this, she'll have landed in Ghana. --Editors]
Because I said I'd have one more article for GB before I left for Ghana, and because I'm so effective at procrastinating, and because everybody loves lists: I present everything I am taking with me when I leave for Ghana. Tomorrow. Believe it or not, I should be able to carry this all with me on the plane. The large trunk of medical supplies, however, I will have to check through.
And to answer the question I've been asked at least a hundred times this last week: yes, I am excited. (!)
- 12 pens
- a blank book I bound myself
- The Satanic Verses (Rushdie)
- Moby Dick (Melville)
- The Autobiography of Red (Carson)
- the flip flops I bought in Darwin
- 2 scarves for covering my head
- 4 long skirts (to be left behind)
- 5 t-shirts (to be left behind)
- a really ugly floral patterned set of twin sheets (to be left behind)
- backup sunglasses (because no way am I bringing my best pair)
- yellow Immunization card (cannot enter Ghana without it)
- Plane tickets
- eyepatch for sleeping on the plane
- Malaria pills (Malarone)
- Cipro (for possible dysentery)
- Sodium Naproxin
- Flexeral
- Ortho Tri-Cyclen
- Tylenol PM
- Claritin
- 15 Luna bars (Nutz over chocolate and S'mores)
- 2 tubes of #30 sunblock because I am astoundingly pale
- nice sandals
- 400 + 20 dollars (in hundred dollar bills, because they get the best�exchange rate, and credit card machines and ATMs are nonexistent where�I'll be. 20 bucks should cover living expenses for two weeks, the rest is for souvenirs/emergency funds)
- a CD of Photoshop (ton install on a machine over there, so I can work�on pictures at night, since we can't go out after dark because that's when the Malaria mosquitos hunt)
- coils of cat45 cable
- crimper
- Windows 2k Pro
- earplugs
- kleenex
- Canon ZR MC 70 dvcam
- 9 dv tapes
- Canon Powershot G2
- extra battery packs
- one 128 and two 256 compact flash cards
- Lomo Kompakt Automat
- some Olympus 35mm automatic camera I bought in Sydney
- 12 rolls of 100 speed film
- passport with Ghana visa
- nice long dress
- tank top and shorts to sleep in
- 7 pair of underwear
- 7 pair of socks
- swimsuit
- wide brimmed soft hat
- Nalgene water bottle
- mini Maglite (purple)
- clip-on lapel mic
- leggings (to wear beneath long skirts to prevent mosquito bites)
- visor
- shampoo
- conditioner
- soap (Dr. Bronner's peppermint)
- face stuff
- tampons
- band aids
- toothpaste
- toothbrush
- chapstick (Burt's Bees)
- floss
- lotion
- face lotion with sunblock
- towel
- agave washcloth
- tripod
- discman
- CDs
- rechargeable batteries
- headphones (earmuffs)
- mosquito netting
- mosquito repellant
- laundry detergent
- titanium spork
- blowup neck pillow
- poncho
- money belt
- fanny pack (yes, I own one, it was may grandma's; no it's not hot pink)
- vitamins
- Wellness pills
- chargers for cameras
- New Balance trainers
