Tuesday, November 20, 2012

CFCA Trip - Three Things I Need To Pack


The next several posts, and a smattering of posts thereafter, are going to be about social media - but not about the industry or my work. I’m switching my lens to social media for social good.

See, I’m going on my first trip to Guatemala with CFCA leaving on December 26, 2013, to meet my family’s sponsored child, Angelica. John and I have been sponsoring her since 1998 – since before any of our kiddos were born.  


This meeting has been a long time in the making! And I’m looking forward to taking y’all along for the festivities but first, I really need your help. Nope, I’m not asking for money to get me to Guatemala. I really need your brain power - your developing country traveling expertise.

I need advice in preparation for this big trip and what better place to ask for advice than my online community?! Via all my social channels, I’ll be asking a developing country trip related question on Tuesday of every week until I leave for Guatemala. By then I hope to be educated through all of you and ready to take on the adventure ahead of me.

And here’s my first question: What are the top three things I must pack and why?

In my upcoming posts, I’m going to be sharing the reasons I’m going; what CFCA is about; what CFCA is planning for me while I’m in Guatemala; and of course, at the end of each week I’ll do a compilation post of the answers to the weekly question.

While I’m in Guatemala, I’ll be posting recap blogs with video here on this blog and in-the-moment updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,  and Pinterest. All updates will be tagged with #cfcatrip.
I can’t begin to share with you how excited I am to be going to Guatemala and meeting Angelica. I’m looking forward to learning from all of you.  I appreciate you helping this developing country trip noobie become a developing country trip expert! We have less than six weeks, friends, so get me your answers in the comment section below to Week One’s question: What are the top three things I must pack and why?

Let’s do this!

DISCLOSURECFCA is covering my flight and lodging for my Guatemala mission awareness trip in return for me documenting my trip via blog posts and sharing my mission awareness experience via my social channels. 

5 comments:

Shanxi said...

Shanxi from CFCA here! The top three things that I have packed for my trips were a camera, a journal of some sort (electronic or hard copy, whichever you prefer) and comfortable clothing you can mix and match over several days. So excited for you and your upcoming journey! :)

Unknown said...

Hi, Zena! This is Veronica from CFCA. Good luck on your trip!

Three things I was glad I packed when I went on my mission awareness trip:

1. Toilet paper

2. Sunscreen

3. Medicine

Unknown said...

It may not all be appropriate for this particular trip, but I actually have a Pinterest list of some of my travel gear. http://pinterest.com/techguerilla/essential-travel-gear/

I also recommend using your phone to take pictures of any prescription bottles for meds you may take, your passport/travel docs, etc. If you misplace anything or need a prescription, get questioned about a med at customs inspection, etc. it makes things so much easier.

lacajag said...

Hi, Zena,

Great post and question! Shanxi, Veronica and Matt gave excellent suggestions - can't wait to checkout Matt's Pinterest board!

I would add a couple of things:

1) A sarong wrap - besides being a comfortable skirt, it can be used as quick robe, towel or extra blanket.

2) Liquid bath soap


I'm so excited for the adventure ahead!!

Judy-Anne
(from CFCA)

Unknown said...

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.

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