Ok, so that's a lie. I do hope there's more to my life than simply a suitcase and a duffel bag. Plus if you add my carry-on backpack it's technically three bags. Regardless, I have scaled down my belongings considerably in order to move to another country and fit into a different lifestyle. Many have asked how you are supposed to pack for two years in two bags. The answer: I have no idea, but somehow it has worked.
It is interesting to think about the things one needs in order to live. "Need" is such a subjective word. My mind has been consumed with thoughts of my needs and wants, my clothing choices, and the new lifestyle I am about to adopt. Part of me wants to say, forget it. There is no chance that my appearance will blend into my surroundings no matter how polished my Spanish is so I should just ignore the fact that Nicaraguans wear jeans even though the weather is tropical. (And let's be honest, this Minnesota girl is in no way used to 95 degrees of sweltering heat for long periods of time.) But then I come back to my senses and hope I've packed the right combination of clothes to neither offend nor stand out in my community based upon my outfits. Back and forth I have considered my clothing options.
But now, by some great miracle, my clothes and "needs" for the next two years are tucked into a suitcase, duffel, and backpack. I've always thought of myself as a simple person and in many ways I am. Unfortunately my packing skills tend to be on the heavy side. I just keep thinking about the "stuff" we have in our lives. The things we don't want to throw or give away, but that simply sit in our closets collecting dust. I sorted through bins of half-used bathroom products and books I barely enjoyed reading the first time ready to toss most items. But then mom reminds me that I may want to keep that teddy bear for some day FAR down the road when I have children or that the first book that I read in Spanish was a real accomplishment that should be remembered. I've decided that lots of extra stuff can go, but even the silliest of belongings with memories attached will have to stay. Yes, we U.S. Americans are attached to our stuff, our materials, but sometimes a few dolls and old necklaces are worth the memories.
My relationship with stuff will undoubtedly change in some ways during this experience. As for right now, I know we have too much stuff, but I have yet to discover an effective way to avoid buying into the consumeristic society that is the U.S., even if that's on a minimal scale.
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