East Aurora-DC-Paris-Burkina Faso

So this is it. I depart for DC tomorrow and Burkina Faso on Tuesday. Let me start by stating the obvious: packing sucks, a lot. I spent the majority of today running errands, doing laundry and attempting to organize the material elements of the next two years of my life - what I wouldn't give to just BE THERE already. On the bright side, everything fits comfortably into my two bags and is definitely under the weight limit. So, you ask, what exactly does one pack for two years in the bush?

10 Cotton Shirts
2 Short Sleeve Button Down Shirts
4 Cotton T-Shirts
4 Sleeveless Shirts
6 Skirts
1 Pair Pajama Pants
2 Pair Casual Shorts
3 ¾ Length Pant
1 Linen/Cotton Pant
1 Pair Jeans
16 Pair Underwear/8 Bras
1 Sweatshirt (Colgate, of course)
1 Bathing Suit
1 Raincoat
1 Lightweight Sweater
10 Pair Socks
2 Pair Flip Flops
1 Pair Tevas
1 Pair Running Shoes
Travel Wallet
Watch
Sunglasses
Baseball Hat (Yankees, of course)
Bandanas
Toiletries to last 3 months
iPod
Solar iPod Charger
Compact Speakers
Voltage Converter with European Plug
Jump Drive Memory Stick
Digital Camera
4 1-Gig Memory Cards
Hand Crank Radio (AM/FM/Short Wave)
Solar Battery Recharger and Rechargeable Batteries
Mosquito Net
Tropic Screen One-Man Tent
Thermarest Self-Inflating Sleep Pad
Compressable Pillow
Silk Sleeping Bag Liner
Two Nalgene Bottles
Bike Helmet
Bike Repair Kit
Bike Lock
Leatherman Multi-Tool
Head Lamp
Lots of Giant, Large, Medium, and Small Zip Loc Bags
2 Rolls Duct Tape
Can Opener
6 80-Page Journals
Several books on Burkina Faso/West Africa/Education
West Africa Travel Guide
Address Book
French-English Dictionary
Postcards of major U.S. cities

So there you have it. The past two weeks has left me a bit mentally exhausted - I'm pretty psyched about the prospect of doing as oppossed to talking...you can only tell people what you plan to do or will be doing so many times before you start feeling like an onlooker instead of a participant. So here's to beginning. Next stop, Burkina Faso.