I’ve always loved Bob Seger. Great songs about traveling, the freedom of the road, and moving on when the moving’s good. Not to mention motorcycles, I do love songs with motorcycles. In my last post I referenced starting a new chapter in life; I’ve got something new and exciting to share. It’s not as dramatic as “Turn the Page” or “Roll Me Away” but it’s a big change for me and is more than just another trip.
I’ve joined the Peace Corps via Peace Corps Response, a program for established professionals with at least ten years of work experience in their fields. PCR involves shorter assignments and more specific projects. In my professional life I’m a disaster response and preparedness consultant, so when the Peace Corps started looking for a Disaster Risk Management consultant in Asia I decided to apply. Less than two weeks later I had my invitation to spend six months in the Philippines working to make local communities more disaster resistant.
I just received my final clearances and I leave in ten days. An entrenched Alaskan, about to try to live in the tropics for six months. I’ve never been in a warm country for more than three weeks. Not only will it be a new way of life and a new job, but a whole new way of dressing and packing. What should I bring? Do I even need a jacket? Why am I compulsively putting a sleeping bag in my travel duffel? Shorts and flip flops I can handle, but what does an Arctic-adapted person wear to a business meeting in 100 degree heat? So much will require adaptation; I’m tempted to just fall back on my “no plan is still a plan” ethos.
It hasn’t been an entirely comfortable process, getting ready to go. Unsure departure date, lots and lots of Peace Corps tasks and requirements, and a very long and involved medical clearance process. Over the course of my entire 38 years, I’ve not received as many vaccinations as I’ve gotten in the last month. Shouldn’t I be pretty much immortal by now? If not immortal, at least invincible, surely.
“How are you going to handle missing winter???” is the common question. This is how Alaskans think, you know. We don’t live here for the summers, that would be nuts. We love winters, else we’d go live in California. Had I embarked on this project during last year’s truly incredible ski season, I’d be having a much harder time with leaving, but considering this year’s frigid temps, dearth of snowfall, and two deep and frightening snowpack instabilities that seem to be staying for the duration, I don’t think I’m going to miss much. Even the local resort is flailing, with avalanche danger leading to extended closures of lifts, and an accident rendering the tram useless for the forseeable future. Long lift lines and no north face? Seems like a good time to go check out some water sports near the equator. Spending ten days in neck deep British Columbia powder in December went a long way to filling my ski quota for the year, so I’ll get on that plane next week more or less content.
Downside: usually I ride motorcycles when I travel. However, the Peace Corps does not allow volunteers to operate motor vehicles and especially not motorcycles. This is going to be a lot harder than missing winter – being in perfect motorcycle riding weather in a perfect motorcycle riding country and not being able to ride a motorcycle. Painful. I do plan to get a bicycle almost immediately so at least some of my two wheeled needs will be met. Hopefully? I’ve no idea what to expect so almost none of what I wrote in this post may turn out to be true. Weird, huh?
Speaking of the uncertain, I may or may not make an appearance on this blog over the next six months once I leave, other than for the gear reviews I still owe. Morgan’s taking over as Interim Head Geargal and I’m looking forward to taking a bit of a break, but no promises one way or another. One of the reasons I took this assignment is that I wanted to do something different for a while. The consumerism, conspicuous consumption, and the bizarre mix of hype and conformity that pervades the Western outdoor industry was getting on my nerves. My love for the outdoors has nothing to do with what Red Bull is shoving down our throats this week, and I’ve been afraid that even running this blog is contributing to that atmosphere. Hopefully this site is and has been different, but I’m too close to really be able to tell. Taking a break to do something better might help clarify this for me.
So, wish me luck during my service, and if you have any advice about living in a tropical climate, I’ll appreciate the help! (Should I bring a jacket? Is it really possible to go six months without needing a puffy coat? Is bringing a sleeping bag really dumb? What about a Mega Mid or Bug Mid? Will a Nook or Kindle be useful? I could ask questions all day, but when zero hour approaches, “go and see” is the only answer).
No on the sleeping bag.
Yes on the Kindle / Nook or Sony eReader.
Yes on a SILK sleeping bag liner. The cotton ones wrap around you like a noose trying to kill you while you sleep.
Yes to a Patagonia nano-puff. Wore mine in Cuba whilst battling a fever.
Yes to a variety of earplugs.
Oh. And I love Bob Seger too. Last month my husband called me when he heard Roll Me Away. Didn’t say a thing – he just left the phone next to the speaker for the entire song. Somehow I’m the odd one?
I still have my ticket stub from his concert in 1996….Bob Seger that is, not your husband.
Super helpful, thank you! I wonder about the sleeping bag, maybe I will get stuck somewhere where I might need it? Or I might do some traveling and might need it? no?
Do you have any advice on which e-reader to get?
I have so many earplugs it’s unbelievable. And sleep masks…
Best wishes for your six months in the Philippines, and I look forward to hearing all about it. I can imagine it might be refreshing to step back from the often frivolous consumerism and aggressive risk-taking encouragement of outdoor recreation industry for a little while, and do something that distinctly falls into the “saves lives” category. I hope you have a great experience and can return to a glorious Alaskan summer.
Thanks Jill! I sure hope I can help over there. I would really like to make a difference.
Good luck! Get some snorkeling and diving in if you can.
I hope I can! I hear the diving is world class, and I’ll be living in a coastal town so I don’t see why not!
Good luck and stay safe! Keep us up to date as much as you can!
Will do, thank you Greg!
Wow! Congrats on your new adventure and good luck! Sounds like an amazing opportunity . . . I’m a bit envious. Enjoy!
Thank you! I’m still pinching myself. It’s happened so fast…can’t believe it!
fantastic!!! have a fabulous adventure! i’m a monstrous fan of the R1 patagonia… over all most all else… i think i’d take that anywhere no matter what… a good pillow, too. 🙂 and sunnies… solid sunnies. 🙂 cheers!
Oh yeah sunglasses! Adding to the list! Thanks!
Hard shell rain jacket for sure.
Hoodie is a must. Goose down jacket, no way, well unless you’re cold sensitive, an ultra light.
Sleeping bag? Of course! a super light one!
like this http://www.rei.com/product/731835/rei-travel-sack-55-sleeping-bag
And for tablet I have the Nexus 7, works as fine as an E-reader as almost computer!
Tons of sunscreen, a nalgene for sure, and all the rest of tropical clothes like living in those countries…
That’s the second vote for rain jacket, I wasn’t going to bring one. Thanks!
I am experiencing adventure envy just thinking about what’s ahead for you. Have a great time! As for the logtistics, I would make the following comments:
Third vote for rain jacket. No on sleeping bag unless you’re posted to altitude. Dress like you’re going on vacation to Belize. Lots of DEET vs moskies and SPF60 for pale Alaskan women. Lots of little trinkets for gifts for locals (esp kids) as optimal ice-breakers. As for all the rest, you’ve spent your life living by your wits and landing on your feet. Take both skills and make up the rest as you go along. Enjoy running against the wind…
Thanks Ron! Great pep talk. At the end of this I’m gonna do a flip, throw my arms out and say “…like a cat!” and sashay into the sunset.
In keeping with the Seger theme, don’t you mean “like a rock”?
Sounds great Jill! And fyi I’ve always thought your website stood out from the rest.
Where will you be in the Philippines? I still have relatives there.
Yes on a rain jacket for sure. Sleeping bag liner is a maybe.
Work clothing: depends on where in the Philippines you will be. If you are in Manila it may be pretty close to business attire around the world in terms of fashion (of course, no heavy fabrics though).
Yes on electronics, though check if you will get service there.
Thanks Eileen! I’ll send you an email with more detailed info about my location; I’m not supposed to make it public for safety reasons. They have a lot of rules about that. It would be super fun to meet your relatives!
Hey Jill, Yes it is possible to live in the tropics without a puffy coat. 🙂 Jason and I spent 11 months in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Florida, Puerto Rico and the USVI and BVI. We did acclimate somewhat over that time, but we made good use of the air conditioner in the boat we were on not just for comfort but because it didn’t have great airflow, it helped keep mold, mildew and moisture somewhat under control. We still had our share of moldy bread, but I’m proud to say we never had a cockroach or ant infestation. We lived in shorts and tshirts. We lived in flip flops, tank tops, swim suits and shorts. It was a really fun adventure and we met a lot of really great people on our journey. Not sure those regions compare with SE Asia and they are pretty “Americanized” so I wouldn’t say we experienced culture shock (except for DR – we were in Luperon, a “hurricane hole” for boaters and it was like stepping back in time to the 50’s – no paved streets, kids in uniforms, coke in bottles, super friendly people). My advice for business meetings would be a skirt and lighweight shirt and some type of sandal. I found cotton to be pretty uncomfortable as it holds sweat and as an Alaskan, I sweat A LOT. We had these really cool folding mountain style bikes that we could ride around. That trip was over 10 years ago and I still remember it – not quite like yesterday, but we had some incredible experiences though ours was work yes, but we were taking care of someone else’s motor yacht which we had to maintain everything but there was a lot of downtime especially when we were in port. I’m going to miss your posts very much. My life has been pretty stressful between work and health issues with both my parents (my apologies for never doing that blog post you asked me if I’d like to write). I don’t think you’re contributing to the Red Bull, etc. hype BS. I think that you’re the voice of reason in all that crap. Plus, I totally dig your sense of humor. And, of course, you are still my girl crush. 🙂 Can’t wait to read about your latest adventure and hopefully, you’ll take some photos even though you say you’re photo challenged. Be safe and have fun!
Thanks Sasha! I will probably be able to write a little bit but I would love to take a break from the web site so don’t expect much 🙂
You’re welcome! No problem. This site is massive and a nice break to recharge your writing batteries is a good thing.
Egads – I have so many typos in that post. I should type up in Word, proofread, then post. I forgot Dominican Republic in the places we visited (hence the DR). I also meant to say not sure how the places we visited would compare with SE Asia. And I have shorts listed twice. Lack of sleep, the cold I’m getting, and stress must be addling my writing skills. I also forgot to add that the places we went had American style stores (except Luperon) and we had Costco, Safeway, Walmart, Walgreens, malls, etc., in PR. So we definitely were not lacking in creature comforts. One thing I forgot that wasn’t around when we traveled is I have discovered that I much prefer skorts to shorts when traveling to warm places. I like the athletic style skorts the best. Oh, and it can get chilly at night sometimes, but the most I ever needed was a light raincoat for rain or a sweatshirt. If you get any elevation though, you may need something a little warmer. Okay. verbal explosion over.
All this time I haven’t even really thought about the fact that you’re going to live somewhere tropical, just the fact that you’re abandoning me *sniffle*. I’m so jealous. I work on convincing Jaymie to get us stationed in Hawaii next almost every day. You could come visit and we can drink Mai Tais and let the cute surfer boys “teach” us how to surf.
As far as clothing, no puffy jacket. Honestly, I wouldn’t bring any sort of down at all, but the nano-puffs pack up so small it won’t take up much space if you do. I’d bring a light wind jacket and something for rain. Yes to a really light sleeping bag; they come in handy in a lot of situations. I’d bring a hammock too. I have a camping one with a bug net covering and optional rain fly that I love and recommend if you think you might have the option to sleep on the beach!
As far as the promotion of consumerism, honestly, I’ve never felt that way about the site. I also really dislike the over-consumption of our society but I’ve alwasy seen this site as a reference to help me find the things I need as opposed to a push to buy more things. I think the fact that we write about all sorts of other things and only write about gear when we review it helps that. But who knows, maybe I’m too close as well?
Have fun, Jill! I am so excited for you!!!!! The only advice I have is exactly what I try to remind myself when I travel: If you end up needing something, chances are you can probably get it there! I’m sure you might be out in the boonies, but then just do whatever it is that people who live there do! Life goes on with or without a puff jacket (not that I can go anywhere, even a desert, without rain gear these days. that’s like being NAKED! So who am i to talk!). If you want to get away from American consumerism… then just be careful about bringing it with you, too!
I am, of course, supremely envious of your extended stay in warm weather and tropical climates. I’m currently loosing my mind on this little rainy rock of mine. 🙂
I think I mean “losing”. Not “loosing”. If it were a real word, though, it might apply as well. (oh! it is a real word! and does sorta apply!)
Wow! That is so awesome! I’d love to do something like that though I doubt they need lawyers.
I don’t know how picky they are; want to go 1-12 months without a paycheck? You never know, they just might find a place for you!
Mabuhay! As they say. Lived in Hawaii for almost 15 years, with Filipino classmates & coworkers. Silk clothing good advice in tropics but I thought cotton was ok, too. The trade winds in Hawaii helped with the humidity, though. Don’t be alarmed by the cockroaches. They’re bigger than you’d imagine, say 2/3rd’s the length of your ring finger and 3/4″ wide. Don’t go for “Ortho” toxic methods of eradicating them, you’ll just poison yourself. (avoid sprays or ‘bug bombs.’–small cardboard or tin ‘roach hotels’ that bait and trap the bugs on sticky media is my choice.) The cleanest hut or finest home will still have these insects. Wrap food in plastic, reclose all containers well including toothpaste, soap, etc. and then don’t sweat it. When you enter a kitchen at night, turn on the light first, don’t look, & let the cockroaches scatter from the light so you aren’t startled. As far as I know the bugs aren’t really a big vector for disease, just a source of ‘heebie-jeebies.’ Watch your lungs around ‘mosquito coils.’ I never thought they really worked, just made a very smoky incense cloud. Learn about rip tides, if you swim in the ocean and find yourself drifting offshore, don’t try to swim straight back to the beach: go parallel to the beach for a bit, to get out of the band of outgoing current. Watch for tiny jellyfish; little blue bubblegum sized balloons floating with threadlike tendrils are Portuguese Man’oWar and their sting can be debilitating. Wear shoes walking on reefs; coral cuts get infected easily, and toxic sea urchin spines are nothing to mess with. Enjoy the food, pork adobo and other hearty stew-like foods with rice are good. Good fish dishes. You might be served meat in outlying areas that is considered domestic animal here. (dog.) You’ll hear some pidgin english, might find yourself picking it up. Warm people with good humor and rapid wit. Singing, storytelling. Culture has an element of machismo…a bit like Latin American countries with some extra deference to males, though as usual the women are amazing and are often the real go-getters and hard workers. Flirting men can be a dynamic. Sometimes advances are overt & persistent. Use humor to deflect but don’t expect same degree of respect or chaste treatment you are used to in US. (don’t go to isolated places alone at night, etc.) As schoolgirls in Hawaii we often heard what some called the ‘Filipino love call’,: a racy whistle, freely used at bus stops etc. and directed at girls. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fine Filipino men but this chase behavior was displayed by some immigrants in Hawaii. Look for rice in salt shakers used to absorb humidity. You’ll see fruit difficult to find in North America, some astringent and very tart, others seedy but sweet and good. Bitter melon is a green bumpy gourd that truly is bitter; take small bites as you discover what you like. Awesome papaya, bananas, guava, etc. Windy storms, watch for quick floods and falling branches outside of city, sometimes waves come up to coastal roads.
Bicycle a great idea! Probably dodgy traffic and hectic no-shoulders on roads, but routes could be found. Rural shortcuts likely to have free-running dogs: instead of whacking dogs with a pump or stick, remember that a dog’s bony nasal canulae in upper snout & skull are their essential cooling mechanism (hence panting) and a jet of water on snout makes most dogs pull back. May sometimes be multiple dogs…put bike between you & them and try to get clear. So keep a full large bottle of water with you, try to get a bottle cage on frame for quick access, or at least a front basket for this item… Hate to keep listing warnings…but head lice common in tropics. If you have itchy scalp & feel tiny dry bumps on hair strands (the eggs) seek Kwell or other special shampoo to eradicate, may take serial treatments as successive eggs hatch. Avoid ‘home remedy’ of gas or Kerosene for obvious reasons.
But enjoy the beaches! I never swim anymore now that I am on the mainland. An indoor pool or cold lake just can’t compare.
Well I’m slightly terrified now but I do appreciate the truly practical advice! 🙂 Bugs are not something we have to deal with in the arctic so that alone is going to be quite the change. Wish me luck!
I’ve been enjoying your blog for a few months now. You seem like a person who knows what they are doing. Good luck with your assignment!
Thank you! At least I’m making it look that way and sometimes that’s half the battle!