What NOT to take........

But First, some pics for the Grandparents........

We have had some unseasonably warm weather like many of you, so Nick spent some days out in the elements. Several park visits and some backyard play. He even found a launch pad for his rocket and Amigo was there for the count down!

Nick also took some quick runs on his mini rollercoaster.......weeeeee!

We went to the peanut butter and jelly concert series by the philhamonic orchestra which featured the drums today. Nick's friends, Libby and Logan were there to share in the fun! They have a "petting zoo" where you can touch and even play many different instruments. Nick tried the trumpet and violin. They actually have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and juice for a snack. We then went into the bigger auditorium where they played all different types of percussion instruments. Nick borrowed Logan's drum and pounded away. They were able to use all of the different drums and shakers to participate. I can't wait to take Nick to more and more musical concerts. My little renaissance man-in-the-making!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What NOT to take!.........
Of course, these are all my opinions but the fact that you have to carry and haul your luggage up and down stairs, onto airplanes, and do this with a child on the way back, they are at least tested and tried opinions.

1. Too many Clothes! Ladies, this is the one time in your life that you need to pack like a man….pretend you have to pack everything in a duffle bag as far as clothes. You need your court outfit. Take a black skirt and use a top that you can wear with your other outfits. I just used my boots for court that I had been wearing during the week so you don’t even need extra shoes. I bought some really cheap pants at Wal-mart (brown, black, and grey) and we rotated our outfits every three days and only washed them after wearing them 2 or 3 times. This might not be so easy in the summer months with sweating and more smells but it worked well in the winter. Take shirts that you can mix and match and wear comfy clothes (sweats) for hanging out and for pajamas. I left half of my clothes in country with a mission organization.

2. Favorite clothes or nice clothes! The washing machines and water can do some crazy things to your clothes especially color….your whites will not return white. Laundry places are great but your clothes still will not be the same. Thus, the above suggestion to buy some simple mix and match cheap clothes and just leave them ……you will want the space for souvenirs.


3. Extra toilet paper! One roll maybe…. for tummy adjustments that must be made in the first week until you find the grocery stores but we found many types of TP there even in our very small town. Most of you will be in bigger cities and they have TP. The standard TP there is similar to a roll of camping paper. We wasted too much precious space with TP and did not need it. Tell your behind that it just needs to tough it out for a couple months or so. J Instead of TP, bring the little tiny packets of Kleenex for when you go out. There will not be TP in most public restrooms and we even had a few with no toilet seats. Leave a germiphobe attitude behind….it won’t do you any good in Kaz and it will only make you miserable. Just know that it is for a short time and this will make you “hearty”…..our favorite word from the trip!


4. Try to limit baby clothes/toys to save space. They will have plenty of time to look adorable and play with cool toys when they get home. Have your translator or coordinator take you to where they shop….the open markets can be very inexpensive for clothes. Again, we were in a smaller town and maybe our stuff was cheaper but we could find clothes and toys at good enough prices that it was much better than taking up space in our luggage. It is nice to have some clothes from Kaz that we can save for Nick to see later. Try to bring things that you could leave behind if you want the space for something else.


5. Last but most important, don’t take an American superior attitude. Embrace the Kazakh way. It is sometimes confusing, frustrating, and even counter-intuitive to the way we think. Their way is not wrong or ridiculous or rude or crazy, it is DIFFERENT. You will feel all of those previous words many times during your trip but you must accept the difference without getting worked up. We are guests in their country. Act that way. We also blogged that way. Your blogs can be read by anyone unless you are private. The smells, tastes, and “way” of doing things can be so different but just remember that this is their way of life. They live with bad sewer systems, bad water, bad internet connections, and minimal income so be thankful for what we have in America but don’t disrespect their way of living by being sarcastic or intolerant. You will be changed when you return….much more thankful for what we have and you will be a parent (so start setting a good example while in country). Remember the simple way you had to live in Kaz and bring some of that back with you......you will miss the simple life when you get back…….the amenities are great here but the one on one family time that you have in Kaz will be forever remembered as once in a lifetime….if you embrace the difference and remain FLEXIBLE and Grateful, you will find that the 9 or 10 weeks can be endured with smiles, tears, laughs and an honest picture of who we Americans really are……..

Next installment, Travel must haves!