I interrupt my weekly sometimes cerebral posts for pack-out prep. So for the past few weeks, whenever I met someone I got the same range of questions from almost everyone. “So you guys are leaving pretty soon?” “Yes, we are leaving___” (insert approximate weekly countdown). “So how is the packing going?” My response “Ummm, err, yeah, A. started consumption excel spreadsheets and has been updating our consumption patterns. Currently, I am in denial.” Yes about that - I am no longer in denial.
So why are you keeping track of your consumption habits, both human and feline, for that matter, you ask? For certain “hardship” posts the FSO in question gets an extra consumables shipping allowance besides stuff that he/she owns, the allowance grows as the family grows, as let’s face it kiddos also come with a lot of stuff. The consumables allowance, includes things that are either not readily available at post or are prohibitively expensive. Where we are going, for example, a block of Philadelphia cream cheese costs $15 USD, while your favorite box of cereal costs around $10 USD. Now look, foregoing your morning cheerios or philly cream cheese in a land free of NY bagels may not seem like a big deal, I can definitely live without cereal as I am anticipating plenty of rocking culinary adventures in India, but things like soymilk for someone that is lactose intolerant will kind of hurt. We are both lactards.
So right, we get consumables. With that said, not everyone in the Foreign Service does, if you go to a post where most things are available at a fairly reasonable premium, then you will not get a consumables allowance. So right, this past weekend, my husband and I decided to go to Spring Fair, an annual celebration of spring at the Jonhs Hopkins Baltimore campus, where A gets giddy reliving the awkward glory days of undergrad complete with Bud in a plastic cup, college bands supported only by friends and visiting family, and giant turkey legs. We decided against going to Baltimore since packing out is looming and we need one day of relaxation.
We spent most of Saturday sending off three more friends to far flung places in style. One party had a ton of alcohol and the departing hosts passionately appealed to guests to take intoxicating beverages home with them, as good booze is a terrible thing to waste and there are teenagers in dessert lands which go without drink every day. However, the discussion did not end there. We looked at our calendar and realized that between A’s work commitments, going away parties, and family events, we have two free weekends – including the one that just passed. We did not have an “Aha!” moment, instead it was more like a “holy c&*#” moment. Yes, there is a better substitution, but then I am trying to be all classy, at least in writing.
Although we don’t have to pack in the traditional sense, the movers hired by the State Department will pack us up, you have to sift, and sift and separate in piles. While you sift you also make decisions on whether or not it is worth it to keep some of your stuff at all. One pile will be stuff to go into storage – which floor length coat that my mom got me in Kyiv to keep me warn and almost all winter clothes, all sticks of furniture (as our future apt comes with furniture) and other miscellaneous items, go to storage. The second pile will be is the consumables shipment, stuff that we potentially won’t be able to comfortably get in India.
The third pile, non food stuff that goes to India – like our ridiculous number of books: economics textbooks, for sentimental and reference value, history, policy, and misc will go on a ship to get to India a few months after our arrival. I keep talking about sifting my books to see how many I can actually put in storage, sorry Russian Law textbooks; I don’t think you are coming on this leg of our adventure. The fourth pile is made up of stuff that will fly in cargo and will be available to us shortly after arrival, people tend to put personal stuff that makes your apt feel like home, you know pictures of your friends and family, chotchkes (knick knacks), extra clothes for work as A will report for work the day after our arrival. The last but not least, pile or if you prefer suitcases filled with stuff that you will need in the next few weeks like clean knickers, clothes, shoes, and consumer electronics such as cameras and laptops. The last pile you get to schlep yourself.
Umph, are we having fun yet? So I am wondering, and this is where I get less classy, but yet censored, where the *&(^ are we going to find space for all those piles of stuff in our 600sf apt? My answer, not the foggiest idea – truthfully we don’t have the space.
So yes back to consumption spreadsheets. The funny thing is that we are not really shopping for stuff for ourselves, but the cat. Our entrance is now filled with two years of pet supplies. I have no idea where we will be putting people supplies or how the movers will be maneuver the furniture out of our tiny one bedroom. There will not be that many people supplies, since we are pretty pumped about Indian food for the next two years, but whatever minimum – like jars of nutella, an absolute must, an upgrade on bed sheets and towels, cereal, trusted laundry detergent (buying local detergent no matter where you are, including western Europe is like playing Russian roulette) and whatever I am forgetting - well not sure where we’ll find the place.
Calling all SAISers with extra space in their apartment – “buddy can you spare a” corner of your apt for some kitty litter?
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