Well, here I am writing my last post in the U.S. Yep, that’s right. On Sunday morning (tomorrow) I’ll be flying to Chicago, then to Shanghai, and then to Kunming! At my final destination, Colleen will welcome me with open arms at the airport. We chatted last night and I am already excited for our first adventure to Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Gorge)!

I’ve been preparing for the last 5 months and now I think I am as ready as I’ll ever be. This last week has been full of spending time with friends, picking up last minute supplies, and organizing everything. Here’s a list of all the things I’m bringing!

What Molly is bringing on her trip:

Packs:

60L Granite Gear Pack, REI 18L Flash Pack , 2 Granite gear packing separators (one for summer/winter clothes, one for meds(first aid kit)/sunscreen/bug stuff), waterproof bag for electronics (adaptors, memory cards, batteries), and a mesh bag for laundry.

This is what is in my medicine bag. I took an REI first aid kit and added bunches more stuff inside it (hopefully I won’t need to use it too much)

Clothes:

A lite-down Patagonia jacket, 1 Mountain Hardwear thermal pants, 1 tech long sleeve shirt, 3 socks (1 thick wool, 1 thin wool, 1 synthetic sock), 2 sports bras, 6 pairs of underwear, 1 tech tank, 2 pants (1 hiking pant, 1 cargo/short zip off pant), 1 gym short, 4 t-shirts (2 tech, 1 nice, 1 in between nice and tech), Keen hiking/walking shoes, sandals, a bandana, and 1 skirt.

Electronics and other:

A frisbee, Handycam video camera, Canon powershoot, Gorilla tripod, quick dry towel, my iPhone, Chinese phrasebook, and a Kindle.

I also have presents for my twin sista in there! But, that will be kept a secret. ;)

I weighed my Granite Gear pack and it’s about 16.5 pounds (Probably more around 15 pounds without Colleen’s presents) and my goal in filling it up only halfway is a success! Overall, I’m pleased with my final product. I did have to sacrifice nice things, like a computer, cute clothes, and other fun things, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end.

Well, I should probably get off my computer and spend the rest of the evening with my family. Maybe I’ll make my brothers play Settler’s of Catan with me or I’ll watch a movie with my Mom and Dad (or both!?).

Either way, thanks for reading and I’ll update my China adventures in the near future.

Best,

-Molly

Me with my pack and ready to go on my trip around the world :)