So what on earth do you take with you when you move to the other side of the world with just a back pack?
I like to tell myself that I’m not a materialistic person, but a look into my wardrobe says otherwise. The task of packing seemed huge, but it’s actually been really refreshing. A lot of my old clothes have made it into charity shops or onto eBay, as they received a solid no to the answer ‘Am I going to wear this in Indonesia’.
I looked over many travel blogs while trying to decide what to take, but other than a few specifically intended for jungle trekking which included terrifying items such as ‘Leech Socks’ (PLEASE PLEASE tell me I don’t need these), generally most the blogs I found were more catered to a week on the beach in Bali than a long term move to the jungle. So here’s my own, on the off chance any other clueless Brits decide to head to North Sumatra.
Teaching essentials
Naturally, my job comes first. So the first things which went into my backpack were my TEFL books, some English dictionaries, a ball and teddy for class activities, alongside some paper and pens. I’m also going to be taking my laptop for lesson plans, as we want to limit the amount of paper we’re using on a daily basis. I’m planning on laminating some worksheets before I head out, so that these can be reused by students rather than just being thrown away after one use.
Toiletries
The Trust which I am working at aims to encourage conservation and environmental consciousness, so I’ve tried to be highly aware about single use plastics in my packing and indeed every day life (like this is going to make up for my air-miles…). The easiest switches to plastic free items were purchasing a bamboo toothbrush and shampoo bars. I also managed to find a conditioner bar and a sun-cream block in Lush, which, while a little more pricey, were something I struggled to find elsewhere. I also tried my best to convert to the solid toothpaste tablets which Lush sell, but really couldn’t stand the taste, and since they came in a plastic jar anyway, I’ve stuck with regular toothpaste for now. I’m also taking deodorant, DEET 50% bug spray, scissors, tweezers, bobbles and a moon-cup to reduce waste from sanitary products.
Appropriate Clothing
Since I’m moving to a Muslim village, the majority of the clothes I’ve packed are long skirts and T shirts or blouses, currently numbering at 3 dresses, 2 long skirts, 3 pairs of trousers, 3 long sleeved tops and 12 tops to teach in. Underwear, socks and swimming costumes have also gone into the mix, including leggings and old T shirts I could swim in, should a costume or bikini not be appropriate.
Less Appropriate Clothing
As I plan on travelling outside Sumatra at some point, I’ve also thrown in a couple of pairs of shorts and around 5 or 6 cropped tops that I wouldn’t wear while teaching.
Shoes
At the moment I’m taking:
- Walking Boots
- Flip Flops
- Sandals
- Trainers
- Some Water Sandal Things? (Pictured)
I might also throw in a pair of older trainers if I have space.
General Necessities
Other items I’ve packed include
- My own sheets – To try and avoid bed bugs
- Mosquito net – To sleep under
- Water bottle
- Passport
- Sunglasses
- Bum Bag and Tote Bag
- Money – There isn’t a cash machine in the village
- Travel Towel
- Old phone – To put an Indonesian Sim in
- Chargers
- A Raincoat
- Padlocks
- Scarf – In case I need to cover my hair at any point.
I’m also looking into some basic first Aid essentials and getting some extension cables to take out to the school, as we encourage anyone travelling to #packforapurpose and bring out useful items that are difficult to get locally.
I’ve still got a little over two weeks to go, so any packing advice would be more than welcome!
Rosie Roams 