Preparation

It occurred to me early on that the time spent between leaving Portland and leaving the country would be great preparation for the daily grind of world traveling. I've grown comfortable with having a safe place to keep my stuff, a warm bed and the ability to not constantly be moving. I'm excited to leave that all behind for a bit, but much like easing into cool water at the beach one toe at a time, it's been nice easing into the discomforts of budget travel little by little.

I lived out of my car while driving cross country and made a habit of repacking my bag every few days as I learned new tricks for maximizing space. I also realized quickly which items would not be essential. Just the other day I spent some time bouncing around New York City - In the rain, no less - which I felt readied me for navigating strange and busy places and taking public transportation. With all these minor tests of my ability to move lightly and freely, it's fitting that a pop quiz would be thrown at me just before taking off for Southeast Asia. The persistent rain and wind I encountered in NY was more like hurricane force winds just a short drive away in Connecticut. I arrived home late one night to find trees down everywhere and electricity nowhere to be found. Almost two days later and one before I catch my flight I'm bouncing all over the place in search of electricity for phone charging, wireless internet, hot water and food that hasn't been sitting in a dead refrigerator. If I'm lucky we'll get power back long enough before I leave for a last minute load of laundry. It could be worse, though. Many people live without any of these comforts I'm lazily trying to ween myself from, knowing they'll all be here when I get back. Deeper than the annoyance I feel is a profound sense of appreciation for what I've got. If you're reading this, then there is a good chance you're a person that I appreciate knowing. Thanks, and stay tuned for my next post from a place yet to be determined.