Consumables

We are leaving so soon! In two weeks we will pack out again, go to New York for a few days and then on to India. Preparations in the lead-up include buying obscene amounts of favorite foods (canned and dry goods that don't spoil quickly) and other items (toilet paper, diapers, shampoo, etc.) that will be sent out with our furniture or as a separate Consumables Shipment. These are things that can be difficult or expensive to get in Chennai, and we're glad that State will ship them for us.

But, if you can imagine trying to plan and buy a year's worth of groceries ahead of time, you can picture what we're going through (and the expense!). Just how much peanut butter is enough for a year? What if Sam doesn't like peanut butter? What if he has one of those toddler phases when PB&J is all he will eat? Does peanut butter count as a liquid under the "no liquid" policy for packages mailed to us later? We don't really drink, but it's expected for hosts to provide wine at dinner parties, and Tamil Nadu is a "dry state" so it's better to buy it here. How much will we need? Should we bother with Kosher wine? Can you get cases of Baron Herzog in Virginia? How many "hostess gifts" will we need? We're supposed to give something that represents where we come from (Knott's Berry Farm Jam, check!). How long will Sam fit into his current size of diapers? What about pull-ups; when do kids start potty training? Dang, better buy a potty. We don't know how our new house is configured- how many baby gates should we get? Babies-R-Us is now on our "to do" list, along with Target, Costco, Trader Joe's, Safeway... multiple trips since our little Prius only holds so much.

Even for someone who enjoys shopping as much as I do, it's a bit daunting. So is the organization; it can take weeks to months for the various shipments to reach us, and some come sooner than others. We have to decide what must get there earlier rather than later, and allocate accordingly. Luckily, if we send our own packages to Chennai now, they should arrive soon after we do.

I'm not complaining, buying consumables is far and away more fun than the packout from L.A. was, or any previous move, actually, except that I don't get to do it with the family and friends who helped me in California. And it's a Foreign Service rite of passage... I'm sure I'll hit a point next spring with way too much peanut butter and not a jar of salsa to be found, and I'll be making a mental note for the next time we're sent to a Consumables Post.

In the meantime, I'll send out an email with our American forwarding address. You know, just in case you want to send us a care package. Without liquids.