Packing Suggestion, by Madeline Robinson

There were many many things that I was nervous about for this trip: What if the food hurts my stomach? Who is going to pick me up from the airport? What is fufu? The list goes on, but nothing made me more worried than what to pack. I hate, no, I despise not having the things I need, especially if I was contemplating bringing it.

Despite all my worries and questions about wardrobe and the appropriate quantity of bug spray to bring, I was completely fine. In fact, I brought entirely too much stuff. I’ve done the Africa-for-six-weeks thing and I am here to tell you that you need less than you think.

I made some grave errors and had a few packing victories that I would like to share with the future cohorts so that they do not have to haul an extra dozen pounds across the Atlantic.

The Ls:

-At the tail end of the spring term, I was on a real fitness kick and was convinced that I would be working out most mornings here. Not one single time did I don all the running clothes I packed. Very few people ever actually worked out. Unless you are diligent or think humidity makes running better, I’d advise against packing too much workout wear.

-Socks are really only useful when worn with closed-toed shoes. Seeing that I wore my sneakers all of 3 times when I was here, my eight pairs of socks were a tad excessive.
Long loungewear is for the wealthy and old, not college students abroad in Ghana. I was worried about the mosquitos here and brought long-sleeved tops and pants for after work. It is way too hot for that nonsense.

-As somewhat of a walking pharmacy, I brought all kinds of superfluous medicines and toiletries on this trip. Other than the melatonin, Advil, deodorant, deet, sunscreen, and malaria meds, my toiletries bags (that’s right, bags plural) have remained untouched. You won’t need much more than that.

-I only brought one pair of shoes for my internship. Bad idea. My office was pretty fancy and many of the other women wore heels. That’s not me, but having more than just a pair of sandals would have been nice.

The Ws:

-In case the news hadn’t made it to you yet, Ghana is hot. Some places have AC, but many don’t, including bedrooms. I am a very sweaty lady and am in constant need of being cooled down. Before coming I got a small rechargeable fan from Amazon for $12 and that has made all the difference. I whip it out whenever the humidity is getting to be too much and remembered that I was having fun despite the sweat dripping down my neck.

-Snacks in the US are unparalleled. Even as I write this I am wishing I had a bag of hot Cheetos or a crisp La Croix to take the edge off. Still, I am glad that I didn’t bring them. Snacks are heavy and there isn’t much time for eating idly. Ramen can be found here and so can most stuff you’re probably thinking about bringing. Pack some peanut butter, a few granola bars, and your favorite candy bar and call it good.

-I take my sleep very seriously; pillows are essential to the nightly regimen. If you’re a firm believer in the plusher things in life, I recommend finding the room for your pillow.

-The housing situation for next year seems to be a little up in the air right now, but it is likely that you will need sheets regardless. This is not a suggestion but a healthcare necessity. The beds will have been slept on by many different people and just like it’s not cool to share germs, it’s gross to share dead skin. Pack the sheets from your dorm room and then you can finally get rid of them before you fly back to the US.

Now… just have to fit it all back in the suitcase.