Based on advice received from seasoned travelers, I'm packing light. All of my clothes are in a small hanger-bag, and I have a few items in my briefcase. I am not taking a laptop, but I do have my Windows Mobile handheld device, although I will disable the phone. The Institute has two cell phones and a laptop for me in Ukraine in the apartment.
Two of my packing mentors are my parents, who spent three years living in Sao Paulo Brazil and who traveled virtually every weekend to various cities in South America. They had it down to a science. Dad would put a clean shirt and a pair of clean unmentionables in his briefcase, with essential toiletries. Mom would do the same in a large purse. In 2004 my wife and I traveled with my parents to Nauvoo, Illinois for several days. Whereas my wife and I had multiple suitcases, my Dad had his briefcase and my Mom had her big purse.
Although I am packing light as far as personal items go, I will check one large bag for my flight. Inside I have "American Gear" to give as incentive gifts to my students and others. This includes 135 commemorative pins, 100 presentation pens, 60 pencils, 9 book bags, 55 T shirts, 5 baseball caps, 3 beanies, and 30 very cool law enforcement patches. The nicest stuff is the "Utah Gang Coppers" Gear from the law enforcement Metro Gang Unit, including very nice caps, beanies and long-sleeved T Shirts with the distinctive cross-like logo. Donors for all of this "bling" include the Cities of Holladay and Cottonwood Heights, Utah, the Salt Lake District Attorney, the "Heart of Holladay" race coordinator, and the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. My goal is to use the "bling" to draw out my students and loosen them up a bit.
My plan is this--once I unload all of the "bling bling," I will use the empty suitcase to pack Russian books, Pysanky, religious icons, shapkas, and other "touristy" stuff that I plan on buying while in Kyiv.
Also, my son-in-law tells me, he wants an accordian!? I'll do my best, bud.
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