Leaving On A Jet Plane :: PCJ Packing Guide

So, you've been accepted to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica. You're preparing to pack up your life for the next 27 months and you're starting to stress out about what to pack. Yeah, I've been there and I feel you so hard. Never fear! I am here to probably stress you out more and give you potentially useless advice on what to bring with you. You're welcome.

My must-haves:

Kindle

I read almost every single day here and bringing a ton of books really wasn't an option. My Kindle has become my best friend. 

Hard Drive

There will probably be quite a bit of downtime during your service. It's nice to have some shows and movies to keep you company. Don't worry, your fellow PCVs will hook you up with everything you need.

This is the I bought: External Hard Drive

Nalgene

Our any other reusable water bottle. Essential.

I would suggest something that doesn't sweat, but here's the one that I have: Nalgene

Backpack

My small backpack gets a lot more use than I thought it would. It's lightweight and compact which makes it perfect for cross-island travel. I take it with me any time I overnight away from site (about once or twice a month).

My bag was cheap and perfect for my needs here: Backpack

Portable Charger

Extremely useful for travel days and long taxi rides. It's also great for when the power goes out. And the power will go out from time to time.

Here's a great option: Portable Charger

Sentimental must-haves:

T-shirt Blanket

My mom had a t-shirt blanket made for me with my old college and Mets shirts. It was a little bulky to bring with me but I vacuum sealed it and made it work. It gets chilly at night where I live so the blanket it really useful. Besides that, it's really great to come home from school every day and see some of my favorite memories laying on my bed.

Get your own here! You can usually get a discount, so lookout for those: Project Repat

Love Notes from Friends/Family

My family had a going away party for me and had all of my friends write messages to me. I ended up with about 70 and I open a few every time I have a bad day or am feeling homesick.

A few useful things that I brought:

House Slippers

Most Jamaican families wear "slippers" in the house. I brought some sweet Nike slides that I use as my house slippers. One of the very first things that was said to me upon arriving at one of my home-stays was "Where are your house slippers?" It was nice to have them there ready to go.

Reusable Containers

These were nice to have to bring my own lunch to training and I still use them at home. You can buy them here, but they are a little pricey for a PCV budget. Pro tip: you can also use these to organize your packing (I'm a bit OCD).

I brought these: Reusable Containers

Umbrella

Sturdy umbrella. I use mine all the time. You can buy umbrellas here, obviously, but you can probably get a better one at a cheaper price in the US.

I have one like this. The price is way down from when I bought mine!: Umbrella

Quick Dry Towel

Many host families will expect you to have your own towel. You can, and probably will have to, buy a regular towel when you get to site but this is a great thing to have during training. Even after training, it comes in handy for beach trips and overnights away from site.

Check out this one: Quick Dry Towel

Things I had sent in my first care package:

Cardigans/Dress Clothes

Jamaican teachers dress very professionally and I was not prepared for that. I had most of my dressy clothes sent to me as soon as I could. If I hadn't donated all of my blazers before I left New York, I would have had those sent too.

Running/Yoga Pants

MY LIFE! I have like five or six of mine from home sent to me. I wear them every day after school and on the weekends. Most importantly, comfy pants are a must-have for cross-island travel.

My Favorite Candy

Self-explanatory.

Things I could live without:

Shoes

I brought wayyyyy too many pairs of shoes. I have three pairs of heels here and I've worn one pair one time. A pair of sneakers, a few flats for school, and a pair of flip flops is really all I need. My mom recentely visited and I highjacked her water shoes, though. Those do come in handy.

Shorts

Jamaican women rarely wear shorts. I never wear shorts here. I have a few pairs I've never even touched since I unpacked.

Laptop Cooling Pad

Never used it. It's sitting under my bed doing nothing. If you really end up needing one, you can have mine.

I'll wrap it up by saying this: there is a 100% chance that you will not pack perfectly. You will pack things you don't need. You will get to training and realize that you should have packed a bunch of different things. Relax. You will be totally fine, I promise. One last thing... Don't be afraid to bring the full amount of luggage that you're allowed to bring. No shame, man. You're leaving for 27 months. Bring as much as you want. Just make sure you weigh your stuff before you leave. It's not fun to be caught at the airport with overweight bags. I'm looking at you, PCJ Group 87 ;)

For more packing tips, check out PCJ Environment Volunteer Sarah D's packing guide here.

xoxo, Leah