This Bolivian Life: Back to Tarija—with suitcases packed to the brim

So if you moved away from home to Bolivia—a country that, let’s face it, has a pretty limited variety of packaged consumer goods to choose from—what would you bring back? Ah, yes. The “desert island” scenario. Interesting to speculate on when enjoying a long road trip with friends, but a painful reality when you have to pack your bags and keep them under 50 lbs each.

Before you take a closer look at our haul, I’ll warn you—most of what we brought back is food-related. What can I say…

Foodstuffs (Clockwise, starting at bottom)

Seeds for planting herbs and Mexican chiles—you just can’t find them in Tarija!
Saffron, vanilla, Spanish paprika, herbs de provence, Trader Joe’s chicken stock, and Lindeman’s seasoning
Trader Joe’s probiotics
Maseca for making homemade corn tortillas and sope shells
Mexican chocolate
Mexican dried chilies
Jamaica flowers
Plastic ziplok bags
Plastic wrap—you get two choices for plastic wrap in Tarija: 1) doesn’t stick to anything, or 2) sticks to absolutely everything and you can’t even dispense it properly
Loose-leaf tea (from the Loose Teas)
A bottle of beajoulais from France—thanks Johnnie and Brittany!
Three bottles of Lillet blanc
Water bottles
Yogurt starter
Spiderman parephanallia (I’m known as “Piter Parker” to the kids in our congregation, had to bring them something)
Cast-iron skillet
Gum