Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'm leaving, tomorrow, it's only a daaayyy uuuh-wayyy... (curse you Annie!)

I am amazed at how hard it is to dispose of everything ethically. Sure, I could have just walked away from the apartment and left it all for the landlord to deal with, but I just can't do that (although I did do it to a roommate once when I was 18). Plus I wanted to liquidate as much as I could, which takes effort. Seriously, how is it that minimalism is such hard work?! Sheesh.

The yard sale was a success – I managed to sell probably a good two-thirds of my stuff, the rest has been donated. I also Craigs-listed a few of the more valuable items. I have a couple boxes to send to friends (gifts and returns), and just a couple boxes (mostly important papers) being kept in storage. I am hanging on to the dehydrator, one of the more difficult decisions, but simplified by a friend who wants to do a long-term loan of it – I'm hoping I can convince him to occasionally mail me some dehydrated supplies! And really, that's about it! Everything else will be either on my back, or in the “drift box” that I will forward from Post Office to Post Office (aka the supply closet). The drift box, or bounce box as I was calling it at one point, will have critical supplies that I may not be able to get at various resort stores along the trail: extra socks, fresh fuel canisters, refills of hand lotion and sunscreen proven to not irritate my skin, envelopes and stamps to mail filled journal pages to my mail-drop/holding service, and the like.

For a while, this whole concept seemed unreal. I couldn't imagine that though I was planning to get out into the woods, I would actually be there. Now it is very real, and I can't wait!!

I have no idea how often I will have net access, or the ambition to post if/when I do, so I make no promises. But I have a vague notion of resuppling every 70 miles or so, and posting at minimum “I'm not dead yet!” when I do. Depending on how scenic the area is, and how strong the urge to wander is, this might be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks! In the meantime, I encourage everyone to consider your own dreams, and how you might follow them.