Three thousand pounds; that is how much stuff the movers hauled away and put into storage. That seems like too much for one person. I know it is relatively little compared with how some people live but it is an insane amount when compared with how most people live. Since I showed up at Steeb Hall with one sea bag, a paint ball gun and a plastic bottle of Popov vodka I have been accumulating stuff. Some of it I have held onto and I still cherish, but most of it was a waste of money that now takes up space. I look forward to drastically streamlining my existence. I will take about fifty pounds of gear with me. I’m going to leave behind a lot of the heavy stuff that I don’t need. If I realize that I need something, I can get it along the way.

Packing has always been a cathartic experience. On the surface it is a simple task but if done wrong things are forgotten which can lead to disaster. Forgetting one document or piece of paper can lead to delays, missed flights, financial loses and in extreme cases incarceration in third world jails. Pack well my friends. When done right it is a meditative and meticulous process that not only prepares your luggage and clothing, but also your mind for the approaching journey. Packing is a way to make the terrifying or exciting future concrete a little bit before it actually materializes.

I haven’t actually done anything yet. I am just writing about preparing to do something cool and interesting. But at least now I am so close that I feel like I’m in the gravitational pull of this massive event and at this point there is no escape.