ugh. the dreaded day of packing.
i have put this off as long as i possibly can.
here are some of my tips for helping this dreaded day go smoother.
okay, who really expects girls to live for 18 months out of only two suitcases weighing no more than 50 pounds each. i mean really?
well. it is possible. but you have to pack smart.
first things first. find out what the climate is like in the place you're going.
Dry Climate = fabric suitcases
Wet Climate = hard shell suitcases
with fabric suitcases, they can be pretty light. allowing you to be able to pack more into them without exceeding the 50 pound limit. unfortunately, all of you, like me, that are heading off to rainy climates, you are going to want suitcases with a hard shell . . . unless you like your clothes and all other items you have packed to be soaking wet and smell like mildew, than the fabric ones should treat you just fine. that just doesn't sound fun to me.
i bought a set of hard shell suitcases at Costco. i am taking the large and medium sizes ones. i also bought a carry on for the plane and have my missionary bag that i will be using daily. i got my carry on at Nordstrom's rack for $30 and i purchased my missionary bag at Desseret book. Luggage is something I wouldn't be super cheap about. You will be living out of it for 18 months and un-packing, re-packing, moving and un-packing again possibly every 6 weeks. it would be terrible to have a zipper break or a tear to rip open. you can get some good luggage that won't put you in the poor house, i just suggest start looking sooner than later so you have time to be picky.
i bought all of my reading material next. it will be listed in your missionary handbook that comes with your call. you can buy everything at Desseret Book. i also bought a scripture case for my English scriptures and my Spanish set of scriptures. because we all know that every time you drop your scriptures 10 pounds gets added to your hubby & if you drop your quad that's 40 pounds! ;) all joking aside, a scripture case is easy to carry & will keep your pages from getting bent, ripped or crinkled (and i have a bunch of handouts and little notes i stick in the pages of my scriptures and they are CONSTANTLY falling out. with the case they stay in place. SO NICE!)
The next thing I bought were my clothes.
I love clothes. way too much. it's a problem and my roommates always tease me about it
so living in 8-10 outfits for 18 months, sounded absolutely terrible and impossible to me.
buy your skirts in a solid color, that way you can wear all your skirts with all your shirts.
I bought 10 skirts and have one dress.
I have super long legs, (i'm almost 6 feet tall) so finding skirts that met the mission requirements was no easy task for me. My favorite places to get skirts were Downeast & Lemon Ice (Downeast's sister store). I also found some at TJ Maxx, Ross, Mika Rose and Dillards, but they did not have as many that worked for my long legs as the other two stores did. If you don't have 'daddy long legs', you'll be able to find skirts at almost any store. Just remember it has to cover your knee sitting and standing and it cannot be too tight.
After I bought my skirts I bought my shirts to go with them. I have a lot of patterned shirts. I also bought different styles of shirts.
After I had my outfits planned out, I knew what colors i had the most of, so i was able to buy my shoes.
I got my rainboots at TJ Maxx for $20 and the rest of my shoes at Dillards. I have two pairs of Josef Sibel (Red and black zig zag) name off shoe brands
pjs
athletic clothes
jeans
hoodies
garments
bathroom items
journals/pens
deet
sunscreen
okay so i've had this saved on my computer and have been updating it as i've began to pack more and find new helpful things.
well.....today my mom and i were just hanging around the house relaxing and we got a call from the church and asked if i could be to the airport in 4 hours to take off to Guatemala! AHH!
so needless to say, this post is incomplete and i was going to upload pictures and make it all fancy, but i don't have time and to be completely honest i just threw everything into my suitcases and am crossing my fingers its under the weight limit.
God speed my friends!
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Tuddenham
(these are some scriptures i have loved while preparing to leave)
Alma 5: 13-15
Alma 5: 19
Alma 5:26
Alma 5: 48-49
Alma 7:15
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