They Should Make an iPod Patch

With a month and a half left before I take off, I have started to seriously think about packing. I am allowed 80 lbs of total checked baggage, plus a carry-on. However, the single piece of advice I have received from every volunteer I've talked to in Panama is: Pack light!!! There is a lot of steep terrain in Panama, many of the work sites are 2-3 hour hikes from the nearest form of vehicular transportation, and 80 pounds gets heavy real quick in 100% humidity. I have set my goal at 60 lbs checked baggage, all in my trusty Wolfskin pack and a day pack to use for carry-on.

You find out a lot about yourself when packing for Peace Corps. Its like a real-life version of that hypothetical question "If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have 5 things with you, what would they be?" The clothes part is easy, because there is no pressure. Whatever you don't bring, you can probably find in-country, or if need be have it sent to you from home. However, I need to make important decisions on various other candidate items which I will not be able to find and Panama, and which could not be sent from home because they would surely be stolen (a funny side note: they suggest that if something valuable does need to be sent, put it in a box for feminine hygiene products...some norms have no borders and apparently one of them is that guys don't mess with tampons). Anyway, I need to figure out what things I can and cannot live without for 2 years. This is no small task. Luckily, I have a couple significant advantages over most PC volunteers. I have already spent a significant amount of time in my country of service. Many volunteers are getting their passports for the first time. More importantly, I have a better understanding than most of how frustrating development work can be. I am using this advantage in a strategic packing exercise:

I picture myself alone after dark in my wood hut with dirt floors. Rain is pounding on the zinc rooftop. I haven't been home for 8 months, and haven't even seen another Peace Corps volunteer for over a month. I just spent all day building a spring box (a cement box used to protect water springs from contamination). It came out terribly, and apparently nobody even cares about the project because the men in the village that were supposed to help with construction showed up 2 hours late and left at noon.

Now: At that moment, what will keep me sane?

For me, it will likely be music.

So, I need to have some music with me. But it can't just be any music. It is to be really great music, music that I can get lost in, or music that puts me in another place entirely. Unfortunately, there will be many days when I will need something to keep me sane. The situation described above (or something like it) is not uncommon, and there is not one, or even 10 albums that could get me through 2 years.

I need my ipod. Okay, need is a strong word, especially for something that didn't exist 5 years ago. I don't need my ipod to survive, but I need my ipod to keep myself in working order.

There is, however, a slight problem. Sure, that internal battery is incredibly effective at making the ipod super sleek and the size of a credit card. However, Steve Jobs did not target the "off-the-grid" market in his design. So, I have spent the hours of 12-2 AM for the last 4 or 5 days figuring out how to best keep my ipod charged. This has turned into a internal struggle in itself, to be detailed in the next episode of...dun dun dun...Esteban in Panama