Packing my bags, I'm ready to go

Luggage to be checked- packed and maxed out ay 50#'s. Another 50#'s in carry on and personal item(backpack) that I get to lug around the airport. And still I contemplate...what might I need that I have forgotten to pack?
I will be there for a month so I have packed with laundry services in mind and the end goal to leave an entire suitcase full of belongings to be donated.
So here's my list:
Workboots, flip flops, sandals and tennis shoes. (socks)
Workshirts, dress shirts (some will do double duty).
Shorts and "pants".
Skirts and dresses for dinner and sightseeing.
Work hats to keep the sun off my face- sunscreen and bug spray.
Pj's, robe, unmentionables, swimsuit for Lake Sevan.
Treats, supplemental foods to get me through breakfast at least my first day before I get to the store.
Work gloves, duct tape(in checked bag), paint rollers, and brushes
Gifts for my friends in Armenia.
First aid kit for the team, personal first aid items.
Bathroom kit plus my Qt ziplock wet bag for carry on.
Mini computer, iPod, speaker- cordage.
Team paperwork etc, reading material for the flight,Armenian  translation dictionary.
Vitamins, medicines, make up.
(Hipscarf to practice my  dancing during free time, and perhaps a little show for my friends.)
Photo printer, ink and photo pages- cordage, et.all, as we will create a scrapbook for our host family which I will be working with for the entire month.
Passport, eTicket(in 2 weeks), Cash because credit/debit doesn't go over so well there.


I feel like I am missing something. I may or may not be. It seems like I have an awful lot packed already. I know I will be able to buy certain things there, but still in my desire to be self sufficient I want to be prepared.

I am ready with 2+ weeks to departure. But being ready already now I have to wait. In my waiting will I try to add items to my already burgeoning bags, which will be a burden in the traveling? Each year I try to squeeze the maximum load into my suitcases only to arrive and have items I never wear/use the entire time. The good news is that I am leaving most of it in Armenia one way or another!

Getting ready/counting down

Ready, Set, Travel Count Down!

         30 days til I set foot on Armenian soil for my 7th trip to build houses. And. I. Can't. WAIT!
I started doing week long work trips with my kids through the church youth group. Then as those kids grew up one became a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia. (Where???)
         Quick geography lesson led me to the Middle East until I was corrected. Armenia is considered Eastern Europe generally. I was ready to step out of my comfort zone into a country I'd never heard of until January of 2006. But I was game for a big adventure!

Temporary home for the last 15 years.

          6 months later I knew a few  Armenian  words       like "Shnorhakalutyun" , Thank you, and  "Vortegh e zukaran?", Where's the  bathroom. My bags  were packed, my camara ready and my expectations high. I was not disappointed!

A real home to move into!

Delicious foods, beautiful and varied countryside, welcoming people, satisfyingly hard work mixed with educational, but enjoyable cultural sightseeing; A very well rounded experience. Plus I made friends there that I really wanted to greet again on another visit.

           And so I went back in 2007, 08, 09, 10, and 11. This year, 2012 I will be there for 1 month, joining a team of friends and then leading my own team. I anticipate another satisfying combination of hard work, great laughter and fun, close friendships form and deepened, and heartfelt sadness to leave and return home again in the end. The exhilaration of the experience inspires repeat returns. That's when you become a recidivist- one who has a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior. Repeat visitor! 

        My team, the second 2 weeks, will consist of 10 dedicated, adventurous souls willing to step out of their comfort zone to give back by offering a hand up to others in need. We will work right alongside homeowners, relatives and community members helping to complete safe housing.


      Join our journey and discover the beauty, joy and hope that will be experienced. See relationships grow and consider how you can become a part of this adventure as a part of the future 2013 team.
                   
                     Your Future Team Leader, Susan Bosovich