Though my primary work commitment is to my own community, in the past few months I've also been traveling a lot for my new positions as National Agribusiness Coordinator and GAD Treasurer. I don't think it's any secret that I love to travel so I've loved the opportunity to move around and get to know other volunteers and their communities.
And with all this traveling, I think I've finally got down my ultimate travel bag. In keeping with our minuscule Peace Corps budget, most of my travel is done on a nice little combination of busses, trucks, and boats, which has a pretty huge impact on what I need to have with me: Electronics, snacks/meals, and a mini medical kit.
What's in the medical kit?
Though we receive a thorough (and huge) medical box upon arrival in country, I've found that all the things I might need on a weekend trip can easily fit in a small plastic bag.
- 2 pouches Oral Rehydration Salts
- Bandaids
- 2 Envelopes of itch relief paste
- 2 Alcohol Swabs
- Throat Lozenges
- 2 sets each of the following pills
- Basic Pain Relievers
- Sinus Medication
- Benadryl
- Motion Sickness Pills
- Travelers' Diarrhea Pills
- Probiotics - They're great for when something is just a little off
And what About Food?
To save money, I always try and bring some easy meals & snacks. Though what I pack varies depends on where I'm going and for how long, here's some examples.
- Tuna + Crackers
- Bags of Carrot & Pepper Sticks
- Travel Sized Peanut Butter
- Fruit that doesn't easily damage (I've had some gross run-ins with bananas & papayas...)
- Water Flavor packets - Especially helpful when the water is questionable
- Protein or granola bars
Anything Else?
Other things I always carry with me are:
- A fork/spoon/can opener/jackknife combo. I got mine for less than $10 at Target
- A fully charged ipod and/or ipad
- Lip balm
- Hand Sanitizer
- Extra hair ties and plastic bags
