Packing List
As for my packing, I had 3 mos. from
referral to travel to pack and unpack until Dh said I was "neurotic."
We had 3 bags total for 2 people (2 rolling
commuter style bags and 1 bag like a Samsonite big diaper bag
type).
In Beijing, I walked down the street from
our hotel and spent $36 U.S. on a HUGE suitcase in which 2 of our
carry-on's literally fit. It locked (which I understand is
important for in-China travel) has wheels, and seems well-made.
I filled it with treasures from China and had to stop due to lack
of room (more on preparing your shopping list for "non-shoppers"
coming up in later post).
So many people couldn't buy great things
because of lack of space. What, I wondered, could they have
possibly brought that was so important as to sacrifice treasures
for their daughter? I felt like we lacked nothing.
So, what did I pack? Well, I started
with a brief list of "critical" items and tried to
stick to that.
Clothes for us: 3 shirts, 3 shorts (try
to vary colors so you don't feel you're wearing the same thing
every day.), socks (4), undies (4), sandals, travel shoes (wore),
a sweater. Just buy some t-shirts there (Hard Rock, Great
Wall) if need be. Toiletries in one bag each.
Laundry: Look, you have to do
laundry no matter how many clothes you take. You might as
well have it done every 2 days, as every 5 days (doing nearly the
same *total amount* of laundry). Just plan on $100 for
hotel laundry costs. I know, just cough it up. Consider
it an expense of doing the adoption.
I thought we would do our own laundry and
took mostly "technical fabrics" for travel. However,
after 2 days of laundry hanging everywhere in the Beijing hotel (the
Beverly Hillbillies look), Dh's cotton t-shirts, shorts, and
coolmax socks could still be wrung out. And I won't tell
you how those socks smelled! I live in Atlanta and have
never seen humidity like that! Hotel laundry it is! I
don't think there's much choice. Skip the laundry kit.
Budget $100 for laundry.
Medicines: I was a walking pharmacy.
2 types of antibiotics per person and 3 extra to share. Everything
was repackaged (this is key) and yet all the prescription info.
from the pharmacy was organized and stapled according to whose it
was, and stored in our paperwork folder. Multiple small
Ziplocs of meds packed smaller than one large Ziploc.
Adoption Paperwork: accordion
style purple plastic from Staples (very lovely).
Travel Documents/Paperwork: CUT OUT
those pages from the travel book, highlight them and staple them
together based on geographic area. Take the sections on Beijing,
Guangzhou, etc. and leave the rest at home. By the time you
go back to China, you'll need an updated book anyway. Take
passports, plane tickets, etc.
Fanny pack: put your hand-sanitizer,
Pepto tablets, nose spray, contact drops, contact holder, no-jet-lag
pills, granola bar, a pen, a small pad of paper, a black Sharpie
pen, and ...
(Teresa's Top Tip coming up!:)
add to the fanny pack a little white
film canister that includes not film, but rather your favorite
drugs Advil (burgundy), Tylenol (white), Xanax (orange), Pepto
caplets (pink), Sonata (green). Put a legend on a little
tiny piece of paper folded up in there so you have dosages and
colors of pills (as above) for your jet-lagged little brain.
Include 3 earplugs, as you'll likely lose one. You can have
more drugs in your carry-on, but when you need it, you've got it
right there, every time on your travels.
I have never used sleeping medications
before, but I must recommend Xanax to get you on track
sleeping both upon getting there and returning home (We'd go to
bed at 11pm and be wide awake at 3 pm, unable to sleep any more,
but exhausted during the day.)
Another Teresa's Top Tip :
"Critical Information" paper:
Before you leave, on ONE sheet of paper on
your computer, cut and paste all the critical numbers and
information you need. Print it out front-to-back if you can
and carry it in one person's *fanny pack*.
As a backup, print another one for your *paperwork
file*.
Also useful: put a third copy in a *1/2
sheet sized brown mailer* that says "CRITICAL" on it in
black marker with stars on all ends and both sides so you can see
it immediately. Keep this in your most easy to access *carry-on*.
You want to be able to whip it out in a moment's notice!
Include on your "Critical
Information" paper the following:
Just think of how organized you will be!
You can carry a second 1/2 sheet-sized
brown mailer of "Other reading material" and include
your those travel book sections you cut out, interesting material
from your agency on the region, etc. You can read that
stuff when you have time.
A Neurotic's Tip:
Attach to your fanny pack with a metal ring
(from Staples) , the following:
We used packmates to smoosh our clothes (1
for each person) www.qvc.com has the best prices I could find at the time
(5 for $25 incl. shipping).
Create organized "Kits" for
your needs:
Take more cash than you think you'll need.
You wouldn't believe all the Traveler's Checks trouble people had
in Wuhan. Name not signed exactly the same (even with
passport!), date purchased should be date cashed, etc. I
think we took (but may not be remembering right) cash of $3k for
orphanage, another $1k for fees and then $2k more, plus $1500 in
Traveler's Checks. Prepaid for hotels, etc. Glad we
had the cash. It really wasn't that much trouble to carry.
Take 100's for the orphanage $3k (new is best, start checking
with your bank at least a month in advance) and take multiple
denominations for the rest, with lots of 1's for tips.
Chinese Money in Advance: We
called Thomas Cook International Exchange at the Atlanta airport
months in advance and had a hold put on $100 in Chinese Yuan and
$100 in Hong Kong money. That was all they had too, when
dear friends who flying through on their way to China tried to
get some. We were very glad we had ordered it, as we didn't
have to slow at all in the Guangzhou Airport (for neither luggage
nor exchanging money for the Airport Tax to fly on to Beijing).
Plus, for me, it is for peace of mind when traveling
internationally. You don't have to change money before you
go, but if you'd like to, plan ahead by several months.
Baby clothes: 3 outfits in 2
different sizes, a sweater, socks (3-4 pairs), bathing suit,
silkie blankie, hat, sunscreen (didn't use), 2 onesies in 2
different sizes (4 total). We bought a few adorable outfits
in China for Lia, including leather shoes for $4 per pair.
Toys (We took 5 of the smallest
stacking cups, 7 fish links)- also take an inflatable beach ball.
We went to the dept. store and bought about
5 toys there, threw them in the HUGE suitcase and ultimately gave
them to Sherry Chen of Sherry's Place to donate to kids she
sponsors.
Recessed packing tube (just cut a
long tube in half, cut a slit down the side of one tube and slide
it over the other tube. Use duct tape to hold open and fits
in the HUGE suitcase fine!) Used for picture bought from
Beijing Friendship Store.
Converter: remember that the
plugs in China run only when the room key is in the slot by the
door. If you need that key, try leaving a piece of
cardboard in the slot to leave the plugs on for charging your
video camera battery or computer.
Video Camera: Wrap your padded
"wipe-off" changing pad around your video camera, slip
into a nylon sack (we used the kids' little parachute bag) and
slip it into your most accessible carry-on. We bought 2
long-life (6 hour) batteries for the trip and saved one for
Gotcha Day. Charged fine with the converter kit.
Camera Film: Remove all film
from canisters. Place in sandwich ziploc bag. This reduces
space requirements by half. Place the ziploc in a lead-lined
bag.
Video Film: They are magnetic
and do not need lead-lined bag protection. Remove from
cases and stack neatly in sandwich ziploc. This saves 1/3
on space. Attach stickers on the side so you can write on
it when done. Save cases at home for your return.
Camera Tip: I bought a very
small Olympus Stylus and got a very small neoprene case with a
zipper at the Dollar Store. The case is meant for
sunglasses. Cut off the camera string to just go around the
wrist and melted the ends. Could fit in my fanny pack and
clip on my belt. Very small. Tape name and address
onto camera if lose. We took 2 disposable cameras just in
case. Next time, I would make one of those a Disposable
Polaroid for sharing and for granite etching and charcoal
portrait pictures.
Teresa's Top Film Tip:
(I think this was from Marie Bartlett-Sloan,
"Madame 50 rolls per China trip!" : ) ):
When you remove the used film from your
camera, use the black Sharpie pen in your fanny pack to date it.
Throw it in the "done" bag (a second sandwich sized
ziploc in your lead-lined bag). When you go to develop the
film upon your return home, write the date on the outside of the
package. Even with the camera date stamp, this saved a lot
of frustration in organization and took just a second to do.
(Take your address stamp with you to the film store if you have
25 rolls of film to develop, like we did!) Also use the
black Sharpie pen to date the videotapes when done
How to Survive Airport Security:
Snacks: we took 5 granola bars and
came home with 3, and we took 3 packets of Oatmeal (which we ate).
Take enough money to buy snacks when you're hungry. Plan
ahead as you travel, and don't worry about hauling lots of snacks!
You won't starve! Have you ever heard of anyone who just
didn't make it back while going to China to adopt their child
because of lack of food? I haven't. Dried fruit is
over there and plenty of sweets are available.
Kwikpoint Card: Excellent for
pointing to the airplane, question mark, and the clock. (When is
the flight leaving?) Very helpful when it counted. Available
in handy passport size at www.kwikpoint.com Also liked their wallet size,
but the passport worked best for us!
Stroller: Don't take if you
going carry-on only! Rent at the White Swan concierge or
buy there at a dept. store.
Additional Travel Tips:
Teresa's Final Tip:
It is never to early to pack! Haven't
gotten your referral yet? Do what you can! You'll
have a better product and hopefully, a better trip, if you start
early!
I think it takes a much more effort
initially to pack light, yet the rewards are reaped on the trip.
It is great to be light and free! Just some encouragement
for packing less.
Have a fabulous adoption
journey!
Teresa
Did I mention the recommendation to pack lightly?! He, he, he, ha ha, Bah ha, hah hah hah......
Special Thank to Kelly for creating this page.