Two Weeks to Go!

I have defended my thesis and will officially be couch surfing at my family and friends houses as of this weekend. For the first time I am homeless, but it is a good thing. It has been very cathartic to find new homes for all of my furniture and electronics, decluttering and determining what is actually important to me and what is worth saving.

Now it is time to start packing for my departure. I find it amusing that for just about everything that I have gotten rid of, I have purchased a smaller more compact version that is ‘camping friendly’. I am getting rid of my mattress and am replacing it with a sleeping bag and ground pad. My cds have been transferred to an external hard drive and my music uploaded to my ipod.

The girl who only wears jeans, has lots of 40s era dresses that are appropriate for teachers, but still have the pockets to carry my devices and belts to compensate for the weight loss that will come with lots of walking and a lack of refrigeration.

This weekend will be the test. My pack has arrived and my suitcase and daypack are ready to be organized with stuff sacks filled with all the stuff on the Malawi packing list along with some of my own ideas, which include a camping tea kettle (I have to have coffee) and aluminum foil. I guesstimate that I am packing about 50 lbs worth of stuff and 30 lbs worth of food. If I could I would aim for 50:50 as I will greatly miss the variety of foods that urban living has to offer.

I will post a follow up once I am packed with my list and comments, as that is what I have found myself searching for the most the past couple of weeks to help me prepare.