44 lbs

I'm at my Grama and Grampas house in Portland, OR, up early because of jet lag/ crazy sleep schedule over the last two days. It feels good to be up and looking out at their garden, blueberry bushes, their huge German shepard-Brutus, and using their dial up internet. I'm here in Portland, (which is synonymous with heaven) until Wednesday at 3 am, when I will begin the last leg to get to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

On Friday, which was our last day of MCC training, I found out that I would only be able to bring 44lbs total with me to Bangladesh, because "Dragonair"--the airline that will bring me from Hong Kong to Dhaka only allows that much weight. I had two bags--my hiking backpack weighed 38 lbs and my other suitcase weighed 47 lbs. SO. I was going to have to eliminate 40 pounds of stuff. Good thing my dear friend Alaina was there to help me...She lives in Philly, and since I was flying out of Philly I got to chill w/ her for the evening on friday....she even showed me downtown, the art museum and what the heck "water ice " is...(it's sort of like a creamsicle, philly style) anyways, after dinner, water ice and a tour we headed to her house to figure out which 40 lbs would have to go.

I was not too stressed out about losing 40 pounds...in reality that is probably more than I need, and I don't want to be this American tourist with tons of stuff and nowhere to put it. It is an adventure. I also think it will be good for the soul, this year is already teaching me things I did not expect to learn. Like intense simplicity. is that an oxymoron?

I put in some music, Franz Ferdinand followed by some Ben Harper to help us get started. But wait, who has a scale? hmmmm. Alaina had to go and ask her 94 year old neighbor for a scale, and after she didn't come back for about 15 minutes I was thinking this story could end up on a show like Dateline--about a girl who never came back from looking in her neighbors basement for a scale. I digress.. We ended up buying a scale at Rite Aid, only to come back to the 94 year old neighbor yelling and pounding on her door, scale (from 1930) in hand. Awkward? a little.

By this time it is 11pm and we have not even started the process. So we begin. At first its easy to see which sorts of things to eliminate: heavy shampoo, hand sanitzer, a huge bottle of lotion, clothes I won't wear in a muslim country...then we start a "maybe pile" All this time we are weighing things separately, and Alaina is keeping a list, b/c she's organized. I am working on getting rid of papers I won't need in Bangladesh, when the "maybe pile" vanishes. She tells me that my toiletries weigh 1/3 of the total weight limit, without the "maybe pile." I start to feel slightly high maintence. And I am not even taking any hair products, make up or lotion.

We then work on my clothes. I won't need many because I will be wearing a shalwar kameez most of the time. But only one pair of running pants? (I only brought 2 to begin with) Now I have to get rid of some underwear? apparently yes.

(less underwear is good for the soul)

Anyway we finish my hiking backpack, and move on to my carry on,which has books--none of which I can bear to part with. My carry on can only weigh 11 pounds...and I was hoping to buy some other books at Powells on Tuesday. grr. I can't do it. Then I start thinking about me moving into the village with tons of books, and fancy ideas, coming to "serve" thinking that I need all this stuff when most of Bangladesh is in incredible poverty...and I gain some perspective...but not too much because I am still thinking of buying more books and paying extra for my carry on. I think I am fearful that I won't have any outlets, and books are cathartic for me. I already feel like I did not bring enough music, also an outlet...and I am down to one pair of running pants, running is also an outlet for me. Maybe I will learn to deal with stress in another way this year. Maybe I will drink my fears and stresses away with chai tea instead....

We are nearly successful in making the 44 limit, but then forgot my shoes: one pair of running shoes, 2 chacos. 4 lbs. That issue has not been resolved. yet. My back pack weighs 48 lbs, according to the scales at the Philly airport...I am not sure how that will resolve itself.

For the time being, I am content to be out of orientation, at gramas, about to make some cowboy coffee.

Hope you all are well.
Peace.
Cicely