Mobile Home

On the road again, alone, living like a turtle, my whole house on my back. I expect to be traveling non-stop for the next nine months (sorry, Rose, it’s true) as I work my way from Kenya through Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa. (You’re my last stop, Geoff.) My backpack, day sack and rucksack are too much altogether, but I’ve tried and tried to downsize without luck. Herewith, the contents of my mobile home:

1 to-the-knee black skirt
1 green tank top
1 blue skort (yes, I said "skort")
1 yellow tank top
1 pair pink pajama pants
1 pair drawstring black pants
1 pair black pedal pushers
1 red shirt
2 blue T-shirts
2 navy T-shirts
1 navy T-shirt (with buttons)
1 black T-shirt
1 long-sleeve tan blouse (thanks, Mom!)
1 pair navy socks (thanks, Mom!)
7 pairs underwear
3 bras
1 ball cap
1 bikini
1 conservative black one-piece bathing suit
1 package laundry detergent
1 Ziplock baggie clothes pins
1 Masai blanket
1 wrap/towel
1 scarf/wrap/sleeping mask
1 sewing kit
1 iBook
1 Mac to PC converter
1 Mac charger
1 128 MB pen drive
1 English voltage adapter
1 French voltage-to-English voltage adapter
8 pens
1 Highlighter
1 mobile phone
3 mobile phone chips
1 digital camera
1 camera charger
3 USB cords
2 digital camera batteries
2 memory cards
1 telephoto lens
1 lens brush
1 (useless) wide-angle lens
1 notebook
2 spare notebooks
1 day planner
100 business cards
1 Africa guidebook
1 East Africa guidebook
1 digital radio
6 Duracell batteries
3 blank CDs
1 Sharpie
1 Minidisc recorder
10 blank minidisks
1 Minidisc charger
1 microphone
2 sets earphones
1 passport
13 passport photos
26 US dollars
40 Liberian dollars (50 = $1 US)
12,000 Ghanaian cedis (9,000 = $1 US)
1,000 CFA (500 = $1 US)
1 wallet
1 debit card
2 credit cards
1 plane ticket
3 post cards
1 box Ziplock baggies
2 cans bug spray
1 pkg BandAids
1 tube antifungal cream
1 tube polysporin
1 packet oral rehydration salts
1 package Mylanta
1 digital thermometre
1 spare contact lens case
1 pkg condoms
2 bottles contact solution
20 tampons
3 pkg Kleenex
1 roll toilet paper
6 pairs contact lenses
1 Ziplock baggie artesunate, Malarone, mefloquine, imodium, ibuprofen, birth control, ciprofloxin
1 bottle crème rinse
1 bottle body wash
1 stick deodorant
1 Altoid container of jewellery (one silver necklace, one gye nyame pendant, one brass earrings, two silver earrings, one silver bracelet, one sparkly earrings, one cowrie shell necklace, one jade ring)
1 silver “wedding ring”
1 pair nail clippers
1 pair scissors
2 pair earplugs
1 pair glasses
15 elastic hair bands
1 ear funnel
1 pair tweezers
1 Ziplock baggie “feminine products”
1 brush
3 lip balm
1 toothbrush
2 tubes toothpaste
2 containers dental floss
2 tubes hand sanitizer
2 bottles nail polish
1 bottle sunscreen, SPF 30
1 digital watch with alarm
1 Nalgene container
1 travel fetish
1 Ziplock baggie old watches
1 package Canada pencils
1 bag sharpened pencils
1 pair black sandals
1 pair red flipflops
1 flashlight
1 Swiss Army knife

What’s missing? Shampoo and a cell phone charger. A good book, bag of trail mix, a bag of M&Ms and a jar of American-style peanut butter. Other than that, I’m good to go.