For future Peace Corps Guatemala Volunteers: Advice on your future life, a packing list, and what not to bring to Guatemala

In talking with fellow Peace Corps Trainees during my training last April-July, I found that many Peace-Corps-Volunteers-to-be read blogs written by current Guatemala volunteers to help them prepare for their own life as a volunteer. Although this wasn't something that occurred to me to do (and I don’t regret not reading blogs - you'll see why shortly), I figured that there might be some prospective volunteers reading my blog in an effort to glean some information about their own future lives. So, I figured I’d make their search a little easier. I do have one disclaimer, though: everyone’s Peace Corps experience is different. My advice might not work for you – this is just what worked for me, and is what I would have wanted to hear before coming to Guatemala.

First, some advice, in order of importance:

-                     -         DON’T have expectations – don’t research the crap out of Guatemala, don’t blog-stalk, don’t try to       

                  imagine what your life/house/work/colleagues/food/fellow volunteers will be like – try to have as  

                  blank of a slate as possible. Most aspects of life here will be different than you will imagine them to
                  be, and that difference can lead to disappointment if you had something else in mind. So, best to have 

                  nothing in mind! You will get all of the information you need when you get here, and it will be more 

                  meaningful learning it here than reading it out of a book or blog.

-          DON’T pack light if you don’t want to! In both of my Peace Corps stints (Niger and Guatemala), Peace Corps staff helped everyone carry their stuff everywhere it needed to be carried to, so I assume that the situation is probably the same in other countries. I pretty much packed my suitcases to the limit both times, and I'm glad that I did. There is some stuff that I will probably never use (mostly clothing) but it’s much better to have something here and not use it than really want something and not have packed it. This is your LIFE for two years – try not to get caught up in the “I’m going to live simply because I’m going into the Peace Corps” mindset, because that might not end up being what you really want. You can always decide to live simply once you get here. And, getting stuff shipped from the States is pretty expensive, so don’t rely on that option. However, do try to stay under the airline baggage weight limit, because the overweight baggage fees are pretty hefty (and really, who wants to be the Peace Corps Volunteer that brought THAT much stuff?) Also, go by the AIRLINE baggage limits, not Peace Corps’ – the airline limits are the only limits that count, and they are usually more generous than Peace Corps’.

-          Take what you hear about Guatemala in the news with a grain of salt – by far, most of the violence here occurs in the capital city, and Peace Corps Volunteers aren’t allowed to go there. Peace Corps keeps an eye on “problem departments” (departments = provinces) and will pull volunteers out if there is any security concern. Of course, security isn't ever a guarantee as incidences can always occur without warning, but in my time here there haven't been any serious incidents with any PC volunteers in Guatemala.

-          Don’t buy a whole lot of extra clothes to bring with you – there are great used clothes stores here. But, do bring enough clothes to comfortably make it through training – laundry day is more like laundry DAYS here so you won’t always have access to all of your clothes – bring lots of underwear!

-          This isn’t advice, but just in case you were wondering… almost every volunteer here (as far as I know) has electricity and running water in their houses. If they don’t, it is probably because of a personal choice to live without these amenities, not because there is no availability of these things in their sites. That said, both electricity and water are subject to outages, which can last several days.

-          Brush up on your Spanish as much as possible before getting here – many people find the language training during training to be entertaining at best, so if you can do some self-instruction ahead of time it will go a long way.

-          Start saving your training allowance from day 1 – you may need that savings when you get to site

-          There are Walmarts (and similar stores) all over the place here, so you can buy pretty much everything you could want EVENTUALLY, but you probably won’t have access to these places for the first several weeks of training. I personally think that it's easier to bring everything you need/want with you, rather than having to spend your training time looking for it and your living allowance buying it.

-          There is a lot of theft here, so you might want to consider getting the property insurance offered by Peace Corps. That said, I haven’t had anything stolen and don’t personally know anyone who has.

-          Many people find living with a host family during training to be somewhat difficult – stick with it, you’ll be on your own soon! Note: PC Guatemala also requires volunteers to live with a host family for their first few months at site, although often this can mean that a volunteer has their own house (including kitchen and bathroom) within a family compound, or has their own level in a family’s house. In any case, it's only required for three months, and then you can be free! (if you want to be... I live with a host family and love it)

-          Establish a Power of Attorney in the States so that they can sign things for you in your absence (checks, documents affirming that someone did indeed use your ATM card without your knowledge, etc.)

What to bring – again, in order of importance:

-          Your computer! You can always opt not to use it once you get here, but I don’t know of any volunteers that don’t regularly use a computer, and they are more expensive to buy here than they are in the States. Also, you will probably have the option to buy a USB modem to access the internet in your house, but obviously you can only use it if you have a computer. (yep, internet in your house, posh corps what?)

-          A Nalgene (or similar durable water bottle) - pack it with socks to save space in your suitcase!

-         Some type of backpack – doesn’t have to be a fancy backpacker’s backpack, but it should be relatively big. You’ll be doing lots of overnight (or over-several-nights) trips, and market trips, and bring-lots-of-materials-to-your-schools/communities trips, etc. A backpacker’s backpack might be more comfortable for long-distance traveling, but you will look funny going to school or the market with it, so that choice is up to you. I only have a normal backpack have gotten by fine with it. Maybe bring both if you really want to be prepared.

-          Clothes you like, including professional clothes. Your style won't necessarily change just because you are in the Peace Corps – you will probably want to wear the clothes that you normally wear at home. In other words, don’t leave your “good clothes” at home, and don’t bring your ratty clothes here.

-          Warm clothes – many places in Guatemala can literally get freezing – don’t leave those sweaters and thick socks in the States!

-          Some snack food for training – trail mix, granola bars, etc. – you may not always love your host mom’s cooking, and dinner might not always be ready when you are hungry!

-          Earplugs – dogs, roosters, teenagers, and churches make noise at all hours of the night.

-          One pair of sturdy sandals or flip flops – Teva and Chaco both give 50% discounts to Peace Corps Volunteers, so take advantage! Here is a list of other companies that give Peace Corps discounts: http://www.peacecorpswiki.org/Volunteer_discounts. However…

-          You don’t need ANY fancy brand-name camping/wilderness/traveling equipment, but go ahead and buy it if it makes you feel better (and sometimes it may make you feel more comfortable). Off-brand products work just as well in my experience.

-          Duct tape 

-          A Guatemala guide book – Lonely Planet is pretty good

-          An external hard drive – if you don’t have one, buy one (if you can afford it). Lots of free time = lots of movie-watching time, and you will very quickly fill your drive up by swapping with other PCVs (That said, my external just broke, and I have been getting by alright without it…)

-          If you have a hobby, bring materials to continue that hobby here – you will have the time for it! Knitting and crochet needles can be bought here, as well as yarn, but it’s hard to find good quality yarn. Musical instruments are a good thing to bring if you have space for them.

-          Bring a journal, unless you plan to journal on your computer. You’ll be surprised how quickly you forget what happens in your life here, and it’s nice to have documentation! Try to get in the habit of journaling at least every few days.

-          A raincoat – it will probably be pretty hard to find one here during training, and if your training is during the rainy season (April-October) then you will need it just about every day!

-          Bring a few books to get you through training – the Peace Corps library is usually pretty picked-over, so the selection isn’t always great. (The real selection is in other volunteers’ houses, so make good friends!) I brought 20 books to Niger and didn't regret it, although I'm pretty sure that's what made my suitcases get up to their weight limit so fast...

-          If you have any favorite toiletries (face wash, conditioner, make-up, etc.), bring those with you. There are lots of American brands of toiletries available in Guatemala so it’s likely that “your” brand is here as well, but it may take you a while to figure out where you can buy it.

-          You probably won’t live on just the Peace Corps living allowance (yes, I know they strongly suggest that you do, but honestly I don’t know many volunteers who can! Note: this varies greatly by country; I’m just speaking for Guatemala) So, bring your credit card and ATM cards from your home bank account, just in case.

Optional:

-          A cookbook – Peace Corps will give you one, and you will likely have internet in or near your house, so you can look up recipes online. But, I still brought two cookbooks with me, and I use them frequently.

-          An alarm clock – your Peace Corps cell phone comes with one, but you may want a back-up for your first few days in country or for times when you can’t use your phone for whatever reason.

-          A Spanish language instruction book - Peace Corps will also provide you with one, but it never hurts to have more - your ability to communicate will greatly affect your life here, so the more resources, the better!

-          You will definitely be using a sleeping bag at some point(s); you may be able to borrow one from another volunteer (I didn’t bring one and I inherited three) but they may not be the best quality. Also, you may not be as lucky as me, so maybe best to bring one if you can. Get a warm one!

-          You may want to bring something to decorate your walls, although pictures (on a USB drive) can easily be printed out here. You might still want to bring some pictures to show your training host family, and other wall/home decorations.

-          I brought rain boots because I had room for them in my suitcase – you can get them here, but they won’t be very cute. You’ll definitely need them during the rainy season.

-          A headlamp makes climbing volcanoes in the dark and getting around your house during power outages a little easier, but then again your cell phone flashlight works pretty much just as well.

-          A sewing kit - needle and thread can be bought here, but it may be more convenient to just bring it with you

Things NOT to bring:

-          A Spanish-English dictionary (Peace Corps will give you one)

-          A cell phone (also provided by Peace Corps)

-          Sunscreen, aspirin, acetaminophen, tampons, chapstick, Pepto-Bismol, birth control, insect repellent, floss, and pretty much any other medical thing you can think of. Peace Corps will be providing these things to you as part of your med kit, which you’ll receive within a few days of being in country (this is true for any PC country). Here are the full Guatemala med kit contents: http://www.peacecorpswiki.com/Health_care_and_safety_in_Guatemala#Your_Peace_Corps_Medical_Kit. Pretty much any other medical item can be specially ordered through the med office.

-          Any type of electricity or outlet converter – everything’s the same as in the States.

-          Any type of water sanitation device – drinking water is easy to come by here.

-          A solar charger – you will almost certainly have electricity in your house.

-          A mosquito net – provided by Peace Corps


Here are two other websites that can be helpful in Peace Corps preparation (again, I didn't know about either of these before either of my Peace Corps stints, and I was fine, but just in case you really want more info): www.peacecorpsjournals.com (a collection of most Peace Corps blogs in all Peace Corps countries) and www.peacecorpswiki.org (I haven't really explored this website, but it has lots of info on Peace Corps, including a timetable of training group departures by program and country, so if you have your nomination you might be able to figure out which country you'll be going to)

Leave a comment if you have any questions!