You know that feeling– that feeling of “I forgot to pack something…I just don’t know what it is yet” ?

I’ve been extremely lucky to have studied abroad twice before this trip, and I have noticed how international traveling changes one’s opinion on the value of items– you are thrust into “survival mode,” and OH how quickly I have seen people (myself included) abandon the connection to streaming digital communication, begin to observe the new environment, and start acclimating to new social and cultural norms. You become a refined and simpler version of yourself.

To attempt to consolidate your entire life for the next 18 days into 3 bags is humbling– space is limited, weight is restricted, and there is little room for any item that is not essential. The order of my packing was directly correlated to the item’s importance and usefulness; in goes the odor resistant underwear and socks (your welcome fellow Tanzanian travelers!), medicine, shirts and pants, hiking shoes and sandals, a few notebooks, my Tilley hat, and a poncho and umbrella. There is simply not room to cram the non-essentials into my luggage.

If I did forget to pack something, I’m sure that I won’t notice until I return.

Robby Thompson

Robby Thompson received his diploma in the morning and jumped on a plane in the afternoon bound for Tanzania. He received his Bachelor’s in Business Geography and will begin his Masters of Science in Geospatial Science at UNA this summer. Robby studied in Schmalkalden, Germany in 2012 with the Magellan program, then Paris over Spring Break with UNA Study Abroad. Follow his next Study Abroad adventure, will it be his best?

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