Preparations

I've been gradually gathering all the stuff i need. I've simplified my wardrobe by buying stuff that will go with most things and donating things that will only go with one outfit or whatever (i'm so stylish). Like i had million pairs of jeans that all fit differently because I bought some cheap while i was in thailand. I went out and bought a dark pair and lighter pair of bootcut Lee's, which is all i need. I bought one pair of kahkis and one pair of black dress pants. That's all i need. I have a lot of good plaid shirts and a handful of dress shirts. 2 pairs of shorts. A handful of tee shirts. I'm packing my suit. I've got running shoes, dress shoes, sandals, and sneakers. I'm packing one good jacket, but I'm just going to buy the warm clothes i need there because they're just going to be too heavy and take up too much room in my luggage right now.

I bought new luggage because I had been toting around this huge hard case suitcase for years. I got it when you were allowed like 70 lbs, but like a year later they changed it to 50 and it weighed 15 lbs on its own. I wasn't able to fill it up anymore and it was a pain to drag around.

I got a kindle, which will be an awesome space saver for books. My DSLR and lens and the bag i have for them is going to take up a lot of space, but I think it's worth it. I'm bringing my laptop and DS Lite. I also got a voice recorder. I thought it might come in handy for language learning and keeping a kind of journal.

I opened a USAA checking account and transferred my M&T funds into it. USAA apparently only charges 1% for ATM withdrawals overseas. M&T charges 3%. It was best to transfer out of a regional bank and into a national one.

I changed my USAA car insurance to a storage-only policy. I was paying almost $400/6 mos with my car insurance. In storage, I only pay $70. It was going to be $100, but if you increase your deductible, you can save an extra $30 per 6 months.

I called Verizon to cancel my cell phone service, but they offered me a "military suspension." I can suspend my account for 24 months and when I get back, I call them and they reactivate it. So I get to keep my phone number and all my contacts. Problem is that 24 months is the max. Peace Corps service is 27 months, so I've authorized my dad to call them and extend the suspension before the 24 months is up.

Filled out a stack of forms for staging which included trainee/volunteer registration form, eligibility verification form, pay method selection (check or direct deposit for my readjustment allowance after service), privacy act waiver (so my dad can see my financial information if i need help), and life insurance. I'm still not sure if I want to do the personal property insurance yet.

I made copies of a lot of important paperwork that i might need. Like my diploma, immunizations record,  glasses prescription.

I was going to get new glasses before I left, but my eyes are really bad and getting high index lenses is super expensive. I need them if I don't want my glasses to weigh a pound and look like i'm wearing bulletproof glass. I don't need them that badly and I'm thinking it might be cheaper to get in China anyway.

The facebook group has been really helpful as China 16s, the Peace Corps China group that is in China now, are members and they post on the wall giving us advice. There were a lot of things they mentioned that I hadn't thought of. I was also convinced to pack much lighter than I intended to and buy most of what I need for the 2 years there in China.

Only 8 more days to go.