What I Took: Costa Rica

The final, definitive list of what was in my backpack (and on my person, if we're being technical) when I boarded the plane to [Atlanta, GA, and then] Costa Rica.


Clothing

• Tennis shoes
• Kickass rain boots
• Flip-flops
• Water shoes
• 1 pair jeans
• 4 pairs of shorts (2 athletic, 2 other)
• 1 pair black yoga pants
• 1 pair black athletic leggings
• 2 black, long-sleeve shirts (for turtle work)
• 1 lonnnggggg black skirt
• 1 black dress  (hmmm, noticing a color pattern?)
• 4 tank tops
• 4 T-shirts
• 1 light, long-sleeve shirt
• 2 swimsuits (both a bikini and a one-piece)
• 1 pair work gloves
• Columbia rain jacket (new! and it's worth being small enough to fit a kid's size to save money- those things are expensive)
• 1 bandana
• 1 belt
• 4 bras (2 sports, 2 regular)
• 7 pairs underwear
• 5 pairs socks
• 1 pair of [nerd] glasses
• Sunglasses

Toiletries

• Bag to hold everything
• 2 3oz containers of shampoo/conditioner combo
• Mini bar soap
• Feminine products
• Contraceptives
• Travel toothbrush (which is super awesome, by the way- it folds into itself!)
• Toothpaste
• Retainers/case
• Mini brush
• Contact case and 4 extra pairs
• 2 4oz bottles of contact solution <-- can use the larger-than-3oz size since it's thankfully considered a "medical necessity"
• Razor
• Deodorant
• Bobby pins & hair binders
• Face wash
• Facial lotion
• 2 3oz bottles of sunscreen
• Sunscreen bar
• 2 bug spray sticks (? we'll see how well these work...) 
• Floss
• Chapstick (a couple of tubes)
• Makeup (waterproof mascara & eyeliner, signature sparkly eyeshadow, coverup)
• Eyelash curler
• Tweezers
• Travel mirror
• Sink plug
• Wet wipes
• Tissues

Medical/First Aid

• Cough drops
• Bandaids
• Antibiotic cream
• Hydrocortisone
• Stop the Sting! cream
• Tums
• Benadryl
• Ibuprofen
• Moleskin
• Needle/thread
• Peptobismal
• Diarrhea meds <-- apparently one of the most common afflictions while traveling... great

General Supplies

• Backpack (duh!)
• 1 super lightweight, water-compatible flashlight
• Headlamp with a red light <-- doesn't interfere with turtles' nesting habits
• Extra batteries for said headlamp
• Phone (with roaming and 3G turned off; I'm not trying to incur a ton of charges)
• Phone chargers (both normal and solar- ooohhhh)
• Money pouch
• $100 worth of Costa Rican colones (so, like $50,000 in their currency) and $300 (American) for first-leg transportation
• Debit and credit cards
• Passport and other important travel documents (vaccination records, insurance card, and my permit)
• Copies of the above documents 
• Camera/extra batteries/connector cord
• Waterproof cards
• Hackey sack
• Water bottle
• 4 paperbacks: The Stand by Stephen King [thanks Sam!], The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, and Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Spanish phrasebook/dictionary
• Mosquito netting
• Silk sleeping sheet
• Travel towel
• Plastic bags/rubber bands/twist ties
• Duct tape 
• Journal/pens
• Mini notepad (for addresses, phone numbers, budget balancing, etc.)
• Sharpie
• Small trash bag for dirty clothes
• 1 [relatively waterproof] watch
• Headphones
• Headset (for Skype)
• Small, flexible lock
• Pillowcase (I'm going to stuff it instead of using an actual travel pillow, thus saving room)
• [Rape] whistle
• Small cloth bag (makeshift daypack)
• Gifts for the kids at the orphanage
• Gift for my host family: Minnesota wild rice
• Family picture (since I guess I'll miss them... TONS)

Thanks to the annoying TSA regulations, not all of my "lotions, gels, and aerosols" could fit into one quart-sized plastic bag.  So frustrating.  Meaning right when I land I need to buy some hand sanitizer, body lotion (preferably with aloe to sooth the inevitable sunburn), and zit cream, yaaayyyyyy.

I can't believe 1) all those things fit in my 55L backpack, and 2) I'm carrying it all on my back.  

Damn I hope I get stronger.  

xoxo, Cleome

BOOKED (and Bought!)

GUESS WHAT?

I BOOKED MY FLIGHT TO COSTA RICA TODAY.  IT'S OFFICIAL.  THIS TRIP IS REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN.


Wow, that feels really good to say type.  I'm still having some trouble believing that what I've planned out for this upcoming school year is actually going to occur, but booking this flight has certainly made it seem all the more tangible.  And now it feels like the summer is going by way too fast- September will be here before we know it!


I'll be flying out in the middle of September.  My flight leaves from Minnesota really early in the morning- like, 5:30 am early.  After registering for a frequent flyer number (I need to remember to do that!), I'll climb on with my backpack (see below) and sit on a 2.5 hour flight to Atlanta, GA.  I've got less than an hour layover there, so hopefully nothing goes wrong and my first flight isn't delayed... that could make for a very unfortunate situation.  Then I jump onto the second flight to San Jose!  I should be arriving right around lunchtime, and from there the rest of the day is mine.  The next morning I do have to get myself to the volunteer office early, though, because the bi-weekly boat to the project's location (a relatively isolated beach on the northeastern coast of Costa Rica) leaves at 7 am.  I can't miss it.  Apparently two Australian volunteers will also be heading out with me- hopefully I step off the boat having gained a couple of new friends.  That's the dream, anyway.


And yeah, I also bought what will be my new best friend: a backpack!  The brand/style is the Deuter Act  Lite 45+10 SL (meaning it can carry up to 55L of volume).  I chose it because out of the five backpacks I tried on, it felt the best when stuffed with 20 pounds.  And it's made to conform to a women's shape.  And I can (hopefully) stow it as a carry-on.  Plus, it has an adjustable torso length, which is really helpful seeing as my torso length is apparently XS (thanks mom!) and not too many packs come in that size option.  Also, it's not appallingly expensive.

My baby for the next year!

I didn't choose that green color-scheme though.  "Pine/Moss" is only style they've got.


xoxo, Cleome