Dear Nam 28,

Dear Nam 28,

Around this time last year, my roommate Danielle called my office from our apartment in Alphabet City. She tore open my much-anticipated invitation and as I held my breath on the other end of the line, she screamed that I’d be spending the next two years in Namibia.

I remember being excited. But I also recall thinking, “Namibia—now where the hell is that?”

So I can only imagine, at this moment, some of you are feeling the exact same way. Excited about all that lies ahead. But nervous, because you’ll have to tie up the loose ends of your life in less than two months and prepare for a two-year adventure that seems nearly impossible to pack for.

Two years.

Forty-five pounds.

No one knows better than a fellow PCV: it’s a lot to wrap your head around.

Which is why I’m sharing the best advice I got while busy laying out clothes, setting aside sunscreen and figuring out how to stuff two years worth of tampons into one backpack and still leave room for the things I’d really need.

The advice? You’ll be fine, so long as you pack these five things: A Leatherman, a pair of Chacos, a Nalgene bottle, headlamp and pictures of family and friends.

The rest? Well, it can be bought upon arrival or disregarded entirely.

Knowing this—especially in the midst of all that’s going on in your life right now—is liberating. Plus it makes packing a lot easier. And after 10 months at site, I can confidently assure you (with the exception of sunglasses) this list is complete, and accurate.

And it made my life a heck of a lot easier.

Sure, the extras are nice—warm socks for winter nights, drink mixes to make water more palatable, books to pass the time. But socks won’t cut the rope you need to hang your mosquito net and you can’t drink water if you don’t have a Nalgene. Books won’t matter if you don’t have electricity, since you can’t see them once it’s dark. And even though space it at a premium, photos of family and friends are small, flat and nice to have when the days get tough.

Plus, they’re impossible to find here---even in Windhoek.

Good Luck! (And see you soon!)

--Jill