My Christmas Present To Myself; What A Nightmare!

It seemed like a good idea.. I knew an address where I’d be in the future and I could have my parents send a package to me – a Christmas present if you will.

In reality, bad idea…

As mentioned before, I did a pretty good job of packing for my trip. The only thing I feel is a bit of dead weight is my 3lb tripod. I’ve not realy used it so far, but I have a strong feeling I will in the future. But there were a couple things I wish I would have brought on the trip.

• Waterproof shoes – The rainy season has not been kind to me and a pair of waterproof shoes would keep me dry
• Water bottle – I started the trip with one, but I accidentally left it in a taxi upon arriving in Leon, Mexico. Throughout my trip, I haven’t seen any water bottles marked BPA-free. So I jumped on an offer from REI when they had a coupon and free shipping
• Head Lamp – When I’m in the middle of nowhere, this comes in handy big time. But even when I’m not, it comes in handy.
• Headphones with inline microphone – My computer’s built-in microphone picks up way too much background noise so an inline microphone will improve the calls I make via Skype and Google Talk.

I got this package sent from home when I was in Bogota. There will be no more subsequent packages… 🙂

In the end, I had to pay $30 in customs taxes to Colombia to receive it because my parents declared $100 of value so they could get the $100 in insurance. Total value of the contents inside: $65.

The shipping cost $65, also because they opted for tracking and faster delivery. On top of this, my brother forgot to include two packages I ordered and my mom forgot my lactose pills that I then had to buy in Venezuela.

So, in the end, between the missing items inside, the $30 tax I paid on $65 of contents, and the hassle my Colombian friend had to go through to pay the customs and pick up the package, it was kind of a nightmare.

It’s the thought that counts though, right?

🙂

In all seriousness, though, the shoes were the most important item since my old shoes had truly reached their last mile. So I’m very thankful for the package!