What could you not live without?

[lucybelle]

I just joined a "retiring/living in Costa Rica" forum and am getting a lot of my questions answered. But I am also realizing the site is definitely more for the "retiring" crowd. I found a thread about "what would you bring" and I cannot believe the answers! I guess when a lot of people move/retire there, they pay to have a 20ft or 40ft container shipped to their new location that they can fill with all sorts of shit. Here's some of the things people suggested to bring: (in bulk)

dental floss, deodorant, toothpaste, iodized salt, coffee filters, coffee grinder, razor blades, ladders, tylenol, battery operated blood pressure cuff, scissors, flashlights, batteries, sponges, a vacuum packer food saver...

They recommended all those things because in CR they don't have "as good quality as in the USA". I mean seriously? Do these people even want to live in the country they're moving to? If they want to live like gringos, then don't move out of the USA!

Anyways, if you have to move to a different country (or already have) what would you bring with you? (besides clothes and shoes obviously)

I am bringing:
-my sewing machine
-my expensive blender (because it was a gift)
-a good knife (because it was a gift)
(and if I could only pick one it'd be my sewing machine)

[ioanna]

i love this!
For me it would be my books... I'd probably need to rent space in a container for that, but it's not too many boxes, maybe ten.
if it is when i retire, then there will probably be a lot more though

what kind of sewing machine do you have? <----- being extra curious

[snow_girl]

If i was moving somewhere for good? Pretty much everything I have can be bought elsewhere. I bring my photos, books and clothes. They can get expensive so if I brought them with me it would save money. I think if I was moving to somewhere with a completely different culture I would just learn to live like they do...perhaps with the odd care package from home of things I miss.

[7hours]

Hmmmm... I would have to say all my art supplies, music, pics, a fan(must have to sleep) and of course my SO..lol!

[Lina]

Some of my books which are either very old (and therefore more precious to me) or gifts (and in this case they're also precious, duh xD ). And a small trophy I got 2 years ago for school performances and I'd like to keep it in a corner - it's important for me 'cause I worked my butt for months and that came as a prize for all that work :P

[Zephii]

Great thread. Those people are hilarious!

I can live without most things, basically all I carried with me when I moved here was clothing, a blanket my mum made, my laptop/phone/ipod, a couple of books and my cat.
If I made a perminant move though, I'd bring my family heirlooms (some crystal items and jewelry mostly), my altar table (like a coffee table really) and my hope chest/glory box stuff. Everything else I'd likely discard and re-buy.

[lucybelle]

what kind of sewing machine do you have? <----- being extra curious

I have a Bernina It's an older version, but still super nice. No way in the world would it be worth it to buy a new one.

[Dziubka]

People are crazy. Dental floss and coffee filters? What the...? They grow coffee in Costa Rica ffs.

Admittedly I always used to bring my own supply of shampoo and conditioner, because they didn't have the brand I was using in Poland. But they started selling it a few months ago, so I don't have to do that anymore.

Now, there's really nothing apart from my personal belongings (clothes, computer,...) that I would take. I have a dressing table that I've had since I was 15 and that I've moved house with four times already. I would like to take it when I move away from here, but if I can't... well, it's not like it was the only dressing table in the whole world. I'd get a new one.

That said, my boyfriend's mum always buys her washing powder in Germany, because aparently it's better quality than what they sell in Poland

[13000km]

I brought my big bolsters, ukuleles and a couple of dvds. I can't think of what I can't live without. When we start backpacking I doubt I'll bring any of those things with me.

[mllebamako]

Can I just rant about expats here in Mali? They are seriously crazy which is why I have pretty much no friends. Most of the expats that I've met here shipped containers here with EVERYTHING, from their car to their furniture, to their food. I met a couple who moved here for a year on a diplomatic mission and they shipped an years worth of food. Can you imagine that???
Most of the expats here also have almost no contact with locals. The only Malians they've talked to are their driver, maid, cook, and a few people they work with. I've had expats ask me the most simple cultural questions about Mali that most people would know after a week! Arghhh ---okay rant over.

I just brought clothes and my laptop. It was also fun to bring some packaged American food for comfort on a rough day (I'm lookin' at you, Kraft Mac and Cheese). Oh and lots of pictures of family and friends

[Dziubka]

Oh, yeah, there's some foods that I love and that they either don't have at all in Poland or only for horrible prices.
I like having some of it stored away, like mllebamako said, for a rough day. Sweet popcorn, salt&vinegar crisps, solid feta cheese and probably some more I forgot about.
But it's not something I can't live without as such. It's nice to have and it helped me a lot when I was feeling down, but some local comfort food probably would have done the job just as well. And it's the same when I'm in Germany. I usually stock in things I can only get in Poland, so they can help me on a rough day here

[NaNi]

I would like to bring my DVDs, some books, my Wii and Xbox 360 along with the games and things my SO has sent to me while being LD. I don't need much more really. Oh and my laptop of course.

[Sora1101]

I'd only bring my laptop and a few sentimental items like pictures and books ect. I'm pretty easy going so I'll just adjust to what I need when I move.

[Sunbeam]

I'd bring my netbook, some clothes (my favorite hoodie, ya know.), my ipod, and my medications. I'm pretty easygoing when it comes to moving, plus, I'd be moving to the UK and I didn't find living there for three weeks hard, I pretty much loved it.

[books]

Do these people even want to live in the country they're moving to? If they want to live like gringos, then don't move out of the USA!

Thank you! I also am on a forum for moving to Nicaragua and I've seen the container suggestions too! I was like...what the..? When I was living there I did all my shopping at the little storefronts people have in their houses...you find what you need, it may not be the exact brand you're used to back home, but you make due.

I've already given some thought to this, and I think my essentials for moving to Nica to close the distance would be the same as when I lived there before:

Laptop
iPod
Bialetti espresso maker

Then just my clothes, whatever hygiene items I use I can re-buy there. Tampons are super hard to find there and I hate pads so I might try to bring a big supply.