The packing process is finally starting to make this whole thing feel real.
I’ve been saying it for a long time, but now that it’s becoming reality, let me reiterate: In under a week, I am leaving home for a year. I am living out of a backpack for a year! What does that look like? How big is my bag? What do I bring? What doesn’t make the cut? Maybe this blog is just me procrastinating, but I’ve been getting these questions a lot, so I figured I should answer them, and take a break from the serious tone of my last few posts.
This might be a little excessive, but it’s too late. The above photo is everything going into my smaller ‘day pack.’
- MacBook Pro for blogging and photo editing, in addition to chargers, adapters and an SD card reader for photo transfers
- iPad to use as an e-reader (can’t pack books…way too heavy)
- Sony a7iii for all of my team’s photography needs, in addition to several SD cards, extra batteries, and extra chargers
- Two external hard drives for computer backups, photo storage, and TV shows/movies
- Two pairs of headphones (honestly probably gonna lose at least one)
- International wall adapter for outlets, and a power strip to go with it
- Solar powered external battery, for travel days and when electricity is spotty
- Waterproof bluetooth speaker
Additional items not pictured:
- Bible
- Journal (and lots of extra pens)
- A change of clothes, just in case
- Hydroflask
- Passport and immunization records (and extra copies of both)
- Two decks of cards and Bananagrams
- Waterproof cover for the bag
The above photo is (almost) everything going into my 65-Liter pack:
- Two-person tent, rain fly, and footprint
- 30* sleeping bag, and sleeping bag liner
- Inflatable sleeping mat and repair kit
- Two quick-dry towels
- Two packing cubes for clothing:
- Larger contains seven shirts, a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, a pullover sweatshirt, and a cardigan
- Smaller contains socks, underwear, pajamas, swimsuit, and a laundry bag
- All-purpose hiking shoes (really hoping these last the whole year)
- Chacos (not pictured…left them in Nashville. Getting them back at launch)
- Flipflops to use as shower shoes
- Hammock and straps (gotta bring a little piece of the PNW with me)
- Headlamp to use at night when electricity is limited
- Travel pillow
- Pack duffel bag and waterproof cover (not pictured – should be arriving tomorrow)
- Mess kit (bowl and forks)
- Water filter (just in case)
- Spare pair of glasses
____________________
It may look like a lot, but narrowing it down to just this was a hard process. Here’s the main thing God taught me through this: I have to leave some stuff behind, and it’s going to be okay.
Granted, I knew this was coming. It’s not like I arrived in front of my backpack this evening and realized for the first time that my TV wasn’t going to fit. It’s deeper than all of that. I’m leaving behind my home, and all of the things that make me feel at home. I’m leaving behind people I’ve known for years – people that I’m going to miss dearly. They can’t come along. They won’t come visit. We won’t be talking every day. And that’s going to be okay.
I’m going to relearn a lesson that I’ve been taught through experience a few times already, and that is that home doesn’t have to be just one place. I’ve made my home in Mexico City. I’ve made my home in Maastricht in the Netherlands. I’ve made my home in an absurd number of apartments, dorm rooms and houses over the last seven years in Spokane. I’ve made my home in different friend groups scattered all over the world. And I’ve returned to my childhood home time and time again when I needed a place between those homes. Home will look different next year. And that’s going to be okay.
I can’t take home with me. But I can make home where I am. I can’t replace my first home, though, and I know that learning, again, how to be apart from that will be one of my biggest struggles over the next year.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for following along. My plane leaves on Wednesday. Let’s do this.
