My packing list

While I was packing for this trip, I found it really helpful to read picking lists that were posted by Peace Corps volunteers who had traveled to Benin. In case it's helpful to anyone else, I kept track of what I brought with me for a 10-month internship in the city of Cotonou, Benin. Now that I'm almost two months into my internship, I've made some notes on what has worked for me. Hopefully this will be helpful!

What I brought:

• Tank tops
• Short-sleeve shirts
• Long-sleeve shirts--For evening to keep off the mosquitoes
• Skirts--Longer than knee-length
• 1 pagne--That measure of fabric used to make a wrap skirt. A friend gave me one before I left, and I brought it along (thanks Kellie!). I think they're pretty comfortable, and they're also really easy to buy in-country.
• Athletic shorts--For at the house
• Capris--I love them for going places on the weekends. It's more comfortable than skirts for me
• Pants--I have not regretted having a non-skirt option for work
• **I got prettymuch all of my clothing from thrift stores. Cotton, rayon, and linen are supposed to be really good fabrics for hot, humid weather, so that's what I looked for.
• Rain coat--I'm really glad I have this during the rainy season. Mine is super lightweight with a hood.
• Sturdy sandals--I have Tevas
• More casual slip-on sandals--Especially for the house
• A nicer pair of sandals--Good for church and weddings
• Sneakers
• Socks
• Undies, etc
• A few pairs of earrings/necklaces--I work in an office setting
• 
  
• Copies of my passport/visa
• My actual passport/visa
• Some US dollars and euros--I had a long layover in Belgium--got me a waffle ^_~
• Bible--English and French
• Laptop/case
• Journal
• Pens
• Book for reading--I have also made good use of the eBook app on my laptop
• Camera
• Phone--If you want to travel internationally with your own phone (rather than buying one there), it needs to be "unlocked". I can't really explain it. If you need to know more, try Google-ing it. This also serves as my mp3 player.
• Chargers for electronics
• Power adapters--In W. Africa the outlets are the same as in continental Europe
• Mosquito net--Yes, you have to
• Twin bedsheets
• Gaff tape--others suggest duct tape--this is just my preference, and I'm already quite glad I brought it!
• Water purifier--This was highly recommended by other packing lists I found. I got a SteriPen from REI, but I actually haven't used it yet. It might be helpful if I have the opportunity to visit a remote village up north, but in the city people prefer to buy bottled water. UPDATE: Ever since I moved into my second floor apartment, I've found it's much easier to keep the 1.5 liter water bottles and refill them from my kitchen. So now I use my SteriPen quite frequently! Plus, it doesn't create as much waste from all the bottles.
• Bulletin board/tacks
• Photos from home--Don't forget these
• Command hooks
• 5 clothespins
• Headlamp--Or at least some kind of flashlight. Good for when the power goes out.
• Sewing kit
• Bananagrams--Potentially for literacy training and for funsies :)
• Playing cards--or something to help you relax
• Post-it notes/notecards
• A few French novels--Also potentially useful for literacy training
• A small knife--Thanks to my friend Tim for lending me one of his!
• Cliff Bars--Always a good investment
• 
  
• All the basic toiletries--Toothbrush, toothpaste, etc
• Various meds--Advil, immune boosters, malaria meds, probiotics, diarrhea meds, Dramamine, you name it...
• Micro-fiber towel--From REI, nice for packing light for overnight excursions.
• Some regular towels/washcloths--These I use at the house.
• Cough drops
• Band-aids
• Alcohol wipes
• Bacitracin
• Anti-itch cream--I think this was recommended to bring because of mosquitoes, but I haven't used it yet. Maybe because I come from a place that has mosquitoes, the bites don't bother me too much.
• Qtips
• Nail clippers
• Nail polish--It's a girl thing. Fun to do with host sisters!
• Tweezers
• Deoderant--It is noteworthy that no one really cares about BO here, but bring it if you prefer.
• Hand sanitizer wipes--Sometimes you just don't see running water or soap for a little while, and that's okay.
• Glasses/case--I also wear contacts but chose to leave them at home, because there's not always a good, clean, working sink available. But personally I don't wear my glasses all the time. If you need lenses all day and want to bring contacts, use your own judgment.
• Sunglasses
• Hair ties/headbands/bobby pins whatever to put it up--I'm discovering the simplistic beauty of the scrunchy.
• Lunette cup
• Gifts for my hosts--I brought them some strawberry rhubarb jam, a CD of Christian music, and some Sweet Martha's chocolate chip cookies. They loved them!

What I wish I'd brought:

• Swimsuit/goggles--I didn't bring them after hearing about guidelines for modesty in W. Africa. If I ever wanted to swim in the ocean, I said, I would be just as comfortable swimming in capris and a tank top. But a very kind woman from my church said she goes to a local pool to exercise, and invited me to go along with her. Of course I said yes! Now I go with her most Saturdays, and I love it. I just bought a swimsuit and goggles (after finding out that swimming laps without goggles is kind of annoying, haha) at the supermarket so that I could join her, but if I had known I could have brought them from home.
• A few DVDs--When I was in France, there were a few instances in the semester when I just needed to curl up with a favorite movie and give myself a mental break. I had thought ahead and packed a few favorites. I also had the luxury of living across the street from the main movie theater in Rennes, a fun place to go with friends. If they were showing an American-made movie, it was always possible to find an un-dubbed version playing at some point. In Benin, movie theaters are not a thing (big surprise) and although my host sisters will enjoy a movie together in the living room from time to time, they are always dubbed. If I had thought of it before I left, I probably would have chosen a couple movies to bring along so I could watch them in English.

If you are in the city of Cotonou (I don't know if Porto-Novo is similar), there is a huge hypermarket called Erévan near the airport, and it's a lot like a Target or a Walmart in the US. If you can't find something in a street market (or if you just want to luxuriate in aisles upon aisles of Western propriety) Erévan is a good bet. That's where I found the afore-mentioned swimsuit and goggles. They also have a large variety of food. The other day I was with someone who was looking for soy milk, and we found it! Unless you'll be living in a more remote area, you won't have to worry about not having access to everyday things. Heck, they even have yoga mats. It's like they know us.

UPDATE: You may have heard that Benin is the brithplace of the Voodoo religion. What I didn't know is that, in the same way that cross necklaces are often associated with Christians in some cultures, there are certain types of jewelry that are closely associated with the Voodoo tradition in Benin. This includes anklets, ear cuffs, and any visible piercing other than the earlobe. My first day in the office at Wycliffe Benin, I was kindly advised by my supervisor to take off an anklet I had made at camp the summer before. This is especially important if you're coming to Benin to work with a Christian organization. However, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are just fine, so go crazy!

If you just happened upon this post because you will be traveling in or around Benin, and have questions on packing or anything else, feel free to ask in the comment section or send me an email: kapitchford@gmail.com :)