Essentials

The Spears are headed off for an 10 day adventure. For the first 5 days we are going on our first 'trek'. Nothing major, but for me, six hours of walking uphill deserves the name trek. The boys are so excited BECAUSE if there are clear days, we will be able to see the Himalayas from where we are walking. Once we get up the hill, we are going to spend 3 days or so visiting in some villages. Then we are going to walk back down the 'hill'. We'll make a quick stop by our house to switch our pants and fleeces for shorts and head out to another village for five days. We'll be out of touch for a couple of weeks. We are looking forward to an awesome time to see some of the country we haven't experienced yet.

Here are some of the things we are taking that I consider to be 100% essential to the trip.

1) Toilet paper - seriously, there is a reason folks here only use their right hands for eating, drinking and interacting.

2) Powder (please note there are two varieties in my stash) - Powder has become very important in our lives. It helps you stay just fresh for just a little longer and also acts as a re-fresher when you are a bit funky!

3) Chapstick - can't go anywhere without it, AND I took off the labels because it reminds me of the chapstick that is always in my dad's pocket.

4) Rash cream - SHAMELESS SHOUT OUT TO my peeps at Adams Drugs in Montgomery, AL for their AWESOME Adams Drugs Butt Paste. It will cure any rash that ails you. As this is a rashy place, we use it a lot.

5) Ibuprofen - I have a feeling someone will need it. Um . . . . namely me.

You should probably note the absence of . . .

Shampoo - yep, no hot water available. Probably no hair washing. It's not gonna be pretty.

Can't wait to let you know how it goes. As we are going by ourselves (read: without anyone whose language is better than ours), you are guaranteed some good stories upon our return!