Abundancia: Packing!!!!

I leave this Thursday!!! I have been preparing for months and I cannot believe it is so close. I haven't been nervous leading up to the trip until today. It hit me...What am I going to be eating? Am I going to get sick? How am I going to communicate? (I don't speak any Spanish) Am I going to be able to the accomplish the tasks that I have worked so hard to master? Will any of my stuff get stolen? Am I going to remember everything I need to pack?

I started packing my suitcase today! I praying that I can fit all of the things I need into one suitcase. I have packed up my big, red and old suitcase at the beginning and end of every semester. I have mastered packing this thing, so what is one more time? I can do this!

Here are somethings that are going to be found in my suitcase:

This is a water purifier. I heard that you can get very very sick from the water in South America. My professor told us that it would be smart to get get a water bottle with a filter in it. Along with my filtered water bottles I am bringing this cool device. It kills all bacteria with UV rays. It was pretty pricey, but I think it will be totally worth it.

I just received an email from the Paraguay Health Department. They informed us that a very dangerous fever is going around that is carried by mosquitoes. There is no vaccine for this fever and the only way to avoid it is wearing insect repellent. This is best stuff around. The ingredient in bug spray that keeps bugs away is deet. Most bug sprays only have 25% deet. This stuff hass 99.8% deet. It smells awful and melts plastic. It probably is not very good for my skin, but it is better than getting a deathly fever. I drove over an hour to get this stuff, because in a previous backpacking trip this stuff saved my family from being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Suncreen: Right now in the village I will be working in it is the middle of summer. I have been following weather reports and I have calculated that it is about an average of 105 degrees everyday! Along with being SO hot Paraguay is very close to the equator, so the sun is a lot more powerful. I will be wearing sunscreen without a doubt every day!

Toothpaste: It is a must. I am not really sure what food I will be eating, so I could be brushing my teeth a lot more often.

Meds: Now don't think I am a druggy. I am bringing ever type of medication that I think I might need. From Ibprophen to Imodium. You never know what you are going to come across in a foreign county.

Water Bottles: The two end ones are from my co-workers. They are soo sweet. I showed up to work one morning and these were on my desk. They are Brita water bottles with built in filters. The middle one is purple/pink, so I had to buy it. I also needed a really sturdy water bottle.