When going on any trip, the big question is always what–and how much–to pack.

A month is the longest trip I’ve ever gone on in my life, so this was a really big question for me! I even looked up guides on how to pack for a month-long trip.

One of the good bits of advice that I read was: pack for a week, and plan to do laundry. This was in the plan anyway. I knew I would be staying in guest houses, and there would be a washing machine somewhere, or someone who would do the laundry.

Luggage

But before all that, I remembered another important consideration: what luggage to bring. I’m not a fan of large suitcases, as I’m never sure if I’ll have help carrying them, if I have to get on a boat to get to my destination, or what.

Fortunately, we had lucked out on these Delsey bags in our village marketplace. Both bags for only Php 2,500! I was quite broke when I saw them, but I knew they would be useful for my travels, so I went ahead and got them.

We knew one of those bags alone was worth more than twice what we paid, so when we passed by a Travel Club, we checked it out. Holy crap, one of them cost around Php 14,000! So yeah, I was very very happy to make the investment. I knew Delsey was an awesome brand, and I knew these bags would serve us for a long time. Even better, they were barely used! (Clearly this is not a sponsored post, but if Delsey would like to give me free luggage, I would not say no!)

At first, I was hoping I could survive on the big duffel bag alone. But with the gear I needed to bring, and the shopping I knew I would have to do upon arrival, we decided that I should bring both bags. These two, plus my giant backpack, contained everything I would need for the month away from home.

Clothes and shoes

“Pack for Marawi,” my manager Polly advised, when she was telling my what kind of clothes to bring. Fortunately, I had another friend who went to Bangladesh regularly for work, and she said that she usually wore salwar kameez (right) on her trips.

The briefing documents from Bangladesh, and my adviser Laura, also recommended buying clothes upon arrival, because they were quite cheap anyway.

Still, I combed my closet in the hopes of finding appropriate clothing. And let me tell you, I had NOTHING appropriate for Bangladesh. All my long-sleeved tops were short, meaning they didn’t cover my butt, or they had v-necks. All my long dresses were sleeveless, or had v-necks too.

So I borrowed a few long-sleeved shirts from Oneal, hoping these would tide me over until I could go shopping in Bangladesh.

The only things I had in my closet that were appropriate were my scarves! I think I packed 4 or 5, which turned out to be useful for keeping me warm on my flights, for protection against sun and rain, and for covering my face on the plane so I can sleep!

Even my pants were an issue, and my colleague Balvin, who had spent three weeks in Bangladesh last year, said it was too hot and humid for jeans. I only had two pairs of linen pants, so I packed my dri-fit pants from Decathlon, and the cargo pants I had bought from Basekamp, as well as some leggings, so I could wear them under the kameez.

As for footwear, I made sure to bring only three pairs! My trusty hiking boots, which I wore on the flight, a pair of sandals for hot days, and slippers for indoor use. I did not foresee that I would be attending some events, so I wish I had bought some leather flats, or sandals from Renegade Folk or Rob and Mara.

Vanity

Of course you need toiletries. Skincare is important! Moisturizer is important!

By now I have vanity kits ready all the time, but I always check their contents before any trip. Lotion is critical, and I made sure to bring something with sunscreen. Purple shampoo, to maintain my hair color, and conditioner so that my hair is fairly smooth despite wind and rain. A tiny cologne spritzer, and the barest minimum of make-up: a skin tint stick with sunscreen, lip and cheek tint, brow pencil and tinted lip balms.

But I brought other things to support my vanity and self-care: sheet mask and sleeping masks, pimple patches, and of course, accessories!

Okay but wait, I did not bring a gazillion accessories, which, if you know me at all, you’ll know is a amazing feat. I brought some simple necklaces and earrings, and wore two string bracelets in addition to my wedding and engagement ring.

Oh I did bring a single pair of fabulous dangling earrings, because who knew, maybe I’d have a chance to wear them with a nice kameez? Yes, I’m vain and I know it.

Medicine

My anxiety makes me a little bit of a hypochondriac, so I always pack myriad meds for any trip. Biogesic and Decolgen are pretty standard, but of course I also needed to bring my inhaler, in case of an asthma attack. I brought two kinds of antacids in case of stomach trouble. I think I brought two small bottles of White Flower, and a Vicks inhaler.

My anxiety meds were absolutely a requirement, and I made sure I had enough to last me a month, plus extra. Vitamins too! I was so annoyed that I forgot the Tiger Balm plasters. But I remembered to bring insect repelent lotion, so yay me.

Food

I’m also terrified of going hungry. When I travel, I always have a few packs of crackers in my bag, depending on the length of my flight and my stopovers. I also carry candy, in case I feel like throwing up.

I’m a person who needs breakfast, so in addition to crackers and candy, I brought about a dozen packs of instant oatmeal and oatmeal drinks, so I could have something in the mornings. I seriously considered bringing cans of tuna and sardines for emergency dinners.

And for my prospective housemates, I brought Chocnut so they could have a taste of the Philippines!

Gadgets

My family and I are pretty attached to our gadgets. Of course, I needed my gear for work: camera, batteries, chargers, tripod, mic, light, laptop, laptop, mouse. My tablet for entertainment and media.

But there are other things I usually pack: travel adaptors (I have two sets), power strip, multi-port USB charger, my tablet charger, my phone charger, rechargeable flashlight, my watch and charger. Of course there are accessories that are helpful too: I packed two phone stands, my laptop stand, and a tablet stand. And two power banks! I was really happy with the power bank I bought for this trip. It came with four cables attached, so there would be no need to worry if I brought the right cable, and not need to fear losing cables either!

Some things that I decided would be useful for this trip are my noise-canceling headphones, an HDMI cable and a HDMI to USB-C cable, so I could connect my laptop to an external monitor. I have to say, these have been awesome for watching TV episodes from my laptop!

But one of the best things I brought: my USB-rechargeable electric fan! I am eternally grateful to my manager Polly for suggesting this, as it was a lifesaver in Ukhiya with its frequent power outages.

Writing

Without question I had my work notebook and my journal, but I was worried about needing new notebooks during the trip, so of course I brought two extra ones.

But my other concern was how many fountain pens I should bring. And which ones? And do I bring ink?? These questions perplexed me.

I journal when I’m anxious, and traveling makes me very anxious. So I decided on these Platinum Preppy pens, the first pens I ever bought, and my blue Platinum Prefounte. I figured, Platinum is reliable, and so affordable, and if I lose or break any of them, I’ll feel bad but I know I can easily find another.

I had black ink, red, green. I decided I needed one or two more colors, because of course. I checked Analog in Mitsukoshi, and the very helpful attendant directed me to the last pack of pink Platinum cartridges! She even located a pack of purple ink cartridges in the Shangri-La branch, but I didn’t have time to go there. Of course I couldn’t resist the crimson red Platinum Prefounte.

Of course I had at least three other ballpoint pens in my backpack, as well as a Sharpie, a small ruler and sticky flags, because I’m a nerd like that. Oh, and a highlighter too!

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Okay, yeah, I packed a lot of stuff. But it’s a whole month away for home! While packing guides always say you can buy what you need at your destination, you never know if you can find the brand or specific type you need. I haven’t found a single shop selling fountain pens, ad I certainly don’t want to buy gadgets without consulting Oneal. As for toiletries, I could get an allergic reaction to something, or trigger a breakout!

I suppose overpacking is also a way of coping with my travel anxiety, of trying to keep things under control in a situation where so much is unpredictable. Already there are a few things I wish I hadn’t brought, and other things I wish I had packed instead (like Century tuna!), but these are not dealbreakers. I’m happy to say I’m mostly satisfied with what I packed.