You would think that I have been spending all my free time over the last couple of months preparing to go to Russia. Well in some respects I have but in others I have not. My list of things to do is SOOOOO long. Today I have plans on trying to get some of it crossed off. I do not have my travels dates yet but I expect by the end of the week I should know something.
When I say I have been in a fog the past 2 weeks that is a severe understatement. My friends at work just laugh. Usually I am in control but I am still so shocked but the fact that she is a girl is really starting to sink in for me.
I need your ideas of what I should pack and what was a waste to take. I love to pack light especially because I will be traveling alone. I also need to find a kid friendly photo album to leave.
School Days - November 2023
5 months ago
10 comments:
You are too cute! I know I'll have other ideas but wanted to go ahead and suggest the Who Loves Baby photo book from Target/ToysRUs/BRUs :)
I hear you about the fog...it just rolls in and takes over...LOL!
I would suggest for a baby book the baby einstein washable kind. We left one for Ryan at the orphanage and the caregivers showed him our pictures in in all the time. He could also chew on it because it was soft and could be wiped down.
We bought two of every toy we brought to the orphanage. Even today he picks up the musical rattles we have here at home and grins from ear to ear...we think he is remembering the music.
Can't wait to hear the travel dates!!
It is difficult to pack light. Mike and I each had a suitcase. We had toys for Colby and gifts that we left for the caregivers. We waited and asked our coordinator what the baby home needed before we donated things. They needed diapers which are very cheap there. Otherwise, make sure you bring a book or something else to occupy your time. You'll have some freetime there and especially on the long flight(s). I also kept a journal.
Take a stuffed animal. . .it's not guarenteed to come back to you with the child, but you never know! Aidan got to bring his Tigger we took him and he still sleeps with it, carries it everywhere, etc. I think it's his wooby!
Trip 2 will be more critical on what to bring and not to bring! Oh, yes, sign up for Skype. . .free phone calls home that include a visual over your computer!
People will tell you over and over to pack light. LISTEN to them. Russian's wear the same thing for a couple days, so they won't look at you weird. 2 pairs of pants, maybe 3 shirts, and something comfy for the hotel. BRING TOILET PAPER - no joke. Buy a giant purse to carry with you - can fit a roll of TP, camera, things for the visit and even a couple snacks in there. If you like Powerbars, bring some for snacks -- we didn't stop for lunch except for 1 day.
Someone else said sign up for Skype -- I'll second that. Cheap/easy way to call the US. Call computer to puter free -- puter to land land SUPER cheap. Spring for a grounded converter for power. Otherwise your laptop will be no more.
For her -- the photo album to leave behind, maybe a couple disposable cameras for them to take some pics during the wait, and something that smells like you. A blanket you sleep with, or a stuffed animal etc. I went to Build a bear and got one with a voice chip and recorded my voice. Maybe $20. Not bad. You may or may NOT see these items again... so don't spend a mint.
A hat (or you'll be called "stupid american". And good boots. I'll think of more, I am sure!!!
Also remember black is like there primary color! I second the power bars. We lived off them for the first trip, also pack some ramon noodles, we lived off those for the 2nd trip! And re check your documents!
my biggest advice to you is to only take 2 outfits for you to wear. i know that sounds crazy but the russians wear the same things over and over so they won't notice at all. i only packed 2 outfits on our last trip and although i was sick of my clothes i was so glad i did that. i did take more undergarments of course! my husband did the same thing. save a bunch of space in the luggage.
I agree with the comments here...pack light! You might want to check out our post we did on what we took and didn't need and what we should've taken. Here's the link: http://www.2dolphins.com/2007/12/dont-leave-home-without-it-or-maybe-you.html
Coupla things spring to mind...
Think layers for clothing. You can easily pull off wearing the same shirt & pants for several days with a different sweater atop them. Like Patti said, black works well, however I found that my black pants really picked up a lot of muck from the road grime and snow around the cuffs, so I had to clean the legs at night so they'd be presentable enough for the next day. By the way, we had read that blue jeans were inappropriate and too casual, but we saw LOTS of Moscovites wearing jeans & sneakers.
I know it's a bit off-season, but if you can find one, I recommend a taking big, colorful beach ball. It'll cost ya about buck or so, is darned near indestructible, lots of interactive fun, and (perhaps best of all) collapses down to nothing for packing into an already too stuffed suitcase.
Also, as I mentioned on our blog post, take a REALLY long network cable and consider taking an equally long phone cable. We had free international long-distance at our apartment, but the phone cord was short.
There seems to be no such thing as artificial sweeteners in Moscow, so if you need Splenda or Equal to enjoy some coffee, be sure to take a box with you.
If you like them yourselves, buy a large Costco-sized box of peanut butter & cracker sandwiches. Y'know, like the kind you get in vending machines. These were a big hit with our driver & translator!
I'll add another vote for the energy bar suggestion! If you like more a "cakey" type, I recommend Chef Jay's Tri-O-Plex bars which are very high in protein and not loaded with sugar. If you prefer something more candybar-like, I recommend the Premier Nutrition Protein bars. While both of these are admittedly a bit more expensive than the ones you typically find at grocery stores, either of these are more filling, offer more nutritional value, and have a fraction of the sugar of their more common counterparts. The Tri-O-Plex bars can even be microwaved for a warm muffin-like treat.
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