A Backpack of Adventures

If there is one thing I have learned in the last month, it's this; It is so much better to NOT have something that you need, than to carry something that you DON'T need. This is not a spiritual analogy, but quite literal! I didn't realize how heavy clothes can become...and most the time I don't even wear half of what I pack. Don't be surprised  if  when I become one of those world travelers that only brings two pairs of underwear and washes them in the sink every other day. Although I have not yet sunk to this frightening place, I can see that I am now capable of leaving out three extra pairs of underwear just to make my backpack lighter.

The longer I am here, the more stuff that I accumulate and the less I want any of it. I desperately need to get some "spring" cleaning done. The problem is that I am the worst pack-rat ever! I admit it, I may even be a trash hoarder... Some day you may see me featured on a TLC special, sitting in a small corner surrounded by rotting napkins, business cards, receipts, leaves, and pens gathered from around the world. My children will be pleading with me "Please get rid of this stuff, it's going to kill you" and I will respond with a firm "But, think of how cute this little ice cream napkin would look in a scrapbook...I found it in a trash can in Slovenia. Can you believe someone just threw it out?!"

But, although I am still gathering all sorts of useless clutter, I am coming to the realization that my standard of living is changing. I actually enjoy living without things that I really thought I needed...things like a dishwasher, a clothes dryer, a blow dryer...(did you know that when you leave things sitting out for a little bit, that they actually dry of their own!?), a shower everyday, a cell phone, a microwave, a car (why are Americans too proud to use public transportation!? It's so much cheaper than car payments, insurance and gas!), I don't have to wear so much make up, curl my hair, and I no longer worry about repeating outfits.

While I am learning to live without somethings that I used to consider to be essential, I have taken drastic backwards step in one area. Caffeine. I shouldn't really be surprised, after all I live in Europe. It's only natural that I become a hopeless addict. Hopeless addict = caffeine headaches, mood-swings, and sluggish behavior if I don't satisfy my cravings before 10:00am. Yes, I have tried to change my ways, but the withdraws are too painful to endure. Simply, coffee has become necessary for me to keep up with my fast paced life.

At the end of last spring, I remember talking about how I was going to spend the summer laying by the pool, reading, getting ahead on homework, and....blogging. Clearly, things have not gone according to plan, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I have so many stories to share that I don't even know where to start. Although I have said this many times already, I do plan to get caught back up on my blog. Hopefully I will find  make the time to start writing some of my experiences down. But for now, you have to be content with this silly random little tidbit about traveling light...