My job length in Mali is vague…anywhere from 6 months to as long as I want.  I will be living in a very dry and hot climate literally brushing up on the Sahara Desert.   One would think packing would be as easy as 1, 2 3, tank tops, shorts and flip flops.

However, I am not going on vacation and cannot dress like a Peace Corps volunteer (the tank top, wrap skirt, anklets, flip flops and hair up in rats nest of a bun).  I will be a working professional living in a 3-bedroom house (instead of a hut), traveling by car (rather than donkey) and working in an office (instead of the fields).  Plus, I will be working directly with authority figures requiring me to pack at least a couple of suits, trousers, loafers, many button-down shirts and formal attire.

In addition to work clothes, I’d like to bring some fashionable threads when scouting the desert (Yes, I know it’s the desert, but c’mon, my pics are probably going to be kind of amazing, and I will need the appropriate fashionable attire to make them frame-worthy).  This requires floor length, knee covering garments (Mali is a Muslim country, so women must cover their knees).  Although this means none of my  miniskirts will make the cut (which fortunately halves my amount of luggage in two), it’s time for me to get to the mall pronto to find those cute trendy floor-length dresses.  Any ideas on where to get cheap Maxi dresses?

Finally, one last caveat on the wardrobe, even though I will be living in Mali, I am planning on rendezvous-ing with my boyfriend in romantic Paris or cosmopolitan London every so often, so my skin-tight D&G dress and the Louboutins are definitely finding their way into my luggage.

So now the question is, what else makes the cut?   I am the last person that wants to trek across the desert in stilettos with four 100 lb suitcases.  So, please help me decide, what should stay and what should go?  Let’s begin (naturally) with shoes and remember, think professional, comfortable and sexy!  I’ve narrowed it down to the following:

Shoe Finalists

Left to right.  Top Row: Brown leather espadrilles, black pricery sexy work/party shoes, black ridiculously hot sexy pricey party shoes, nude color party/work shoes that elongate your legs, charmingly cute Burberry proper work and party shoes

Middle Row: Glamourous gold high platforms $, modest peep-toe black work shoes with spice, trusty 3 year old Dior pumps, Banana Republic cloth espadrilles, Asics sneakers

Bottom Row: Hiking Merrill sandals, red Steve Madden kitten red hot pumps , Talk about bling sandals , Tory classy leather flats, Black flip flops