Packing

So, how does one plan and pack for an around the world trip? First, find yourself single again...living with your parents. That's always a good start. Don't get me wrong, wearing your high school letter jacket and polishing your old trophies can be somewhat therapeutic...if you're a serial killer. For the rest of us, it's a transitional staging area with a number of benefits. Namely, the free food and laundry services. They go a long way in helping you hone your mooching skills which are essential when traveling on a budget. Now, when it comes to packing you want to infuriate your mom by trashing a completely innocent room with random paraphernalia ranging from rain gear and hiking boots to wicking underwear that you can wear for up to a week without washing. No joke, they really hold up. Never thought I'd pay $30 for a single pair of underwear but let me tell you, they're pretty damn special. They also lift and separate. The ladies know what I'm talking about.

To be totally honest, I was a little overambitious in trying to pack lightly. The hang-up coming in the form of winter gear for the Himalayas and all the gadgetry I can't live without. So what started out as a midget-sized backpack and a small sling back has turned into the same midget-sized backpack complete with vacuum compression sacks and the sling back is nesting inside a larger sling back. Not exactly what I was envisioning but then again I suppose trying to travel for 7 months out of a plastic bag from the grocery store has its limitations.