For those about to travel, I thought I would give you my "What Will I Do Different" on my return trip to possibly ease your travels. For those who have already travelled, please add your "Lessons Learned" in the comments and I will add them to the list.
1. Train in the right shoes. I am a jogger and I made sure I was running/walking atleast 6 miles a day before leaving. I believe this is right at about what we had to walk everyday so I would highly recommend this for everyone to prepare. Unfortunately I did not wear running shoes everywhere I went in Ukraine. I really should have pre-tested my non-tennis shoes for a good mile walk and see how bad the blisters would be!
2. More spice. I packed salt, pepper, soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce and a few other spice packets. I really should have packed more flavor. I was too cheap to buy the big containers at the store just to cook one or two meals and I ran out of the good flavor real quick. I love to cook and we tried to conserve our cash by cooking but it became redundant and boring very quick.
3. More movies. We packed 24 and watched most twice. The english is so nice to hear while you are there but I wish we would have brought some we had not seen yet and basically just more of them.
4. Laundry Detergent in individual ziploc bags. I had some handwashing individual sink packets so this did just fine until we could get to the market. The little laundry detergent containers (powder) at the store do not pack well once they are opened so each time we moved apartments we just left the container. Next time I will bring my own (probably since it seemed to be the first thing I used at each place!!!) or buy the liquid with a good lid at the store. The washing machines are so tiny that you basically wash everytime you change clothes.
** Most everyone always says they would pack less. We headed this advice and only had 1 small suitcase per person. 3 interchangeable outfits and lots of under garments. It was plenty and the limited luggage was truly the way to go.
If I think of others I will add them.
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8 comments:
Great post! Thanks! We are leaving in 11 days and I am trying to pack. I really am trying to pack light- it just seems so impossible. I have made my first packing run- now each day,I take a few things out. It is so hard to really decided what to bring and what to leave. Post lie this and by others who have gone before have been so helpful!
It has been a pleasure following your journey. Welcome home.
We just bought the liquid detergent at the store.
Hope adjustment is going good and let me know how his cp repairs go!
Leanna
So glad the laundry detergent was helpful! Did you guys use Skype to talk to A or the Blackberry?
We didn't take spices when we went, but then we eat pretty bland at home so we didn't notice the difference. ;)
We packed light also and I encourage it as well.
I packed spices and I highly recommend if you cook and are trying to conserve money - bring your spices in ziploc bags.
Laundry soap was found at the local grocery store; we packed powder in ziploc to hold us for a couple of days in region.
Vonage VOI- if you are taking a computer they now sell a USB drive at Best Buy or Circuit City...it was $40.00 and well worth it. It does not work with WINDOWS VISTA.
I would have taken microwave popcorn...you know the whole stuck on an island with one food thing...it would be popcorn.
Take a series of DVD's you have been wanting to watch...you will have time.
Go to Ukraine with an open heart and an open mind...and make it another honeymoon.
So I guess that you won't be at Bunko on Friday?
I am SO happy for you all! I can't wait to meet your little "G." I have just read all of your posts - back to when you were just about to leave for your trip.
Funny thing about the movies----we never watched one. Good thing, we didn't bring any. Welcome home.
So glad that you made it home to rest and relax a bit!
Good luck on your trip back to bring your angel home!
Best wishes!
Amy
Just found your blog - and so happy that you are home with your little one! We have a son named Garrett! Did you know it means "brave/courageous"?
I will just second the packing light. We brought everything in travel sizes, used them in Kiev, then bought full-sized stuff in region. Once it was time to go back to Kiev, we refilled our travel-sized items and just used those until we made it home. We carried on our luggage, so we needed our liquids in small sizes anyway.
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