Stuff

A simple truth: The more stuff you have, the more difficult it is to travel.

Everything I own fits in my vehicle, but it still feels like too much. If I had a tiny car that might be saying something, but with a Tacoma with a 6ft bed, a hitch bike rack and a roof rack, it almost feels like cheating. My goal for the next few years is simply to travel, so I've made it my short term goal to condense my possessions down so that I can camp comfortably in the back of my truck.

It's difficult getting rid of some things like books, kitchen supplies, spare bike parts, but the truth is that a lot of my stuff has been packed up in boxes since last August when I left Oxford. I didn't need it at home and didn't plan on being there long. I didn't have a place for that stuff in my house in Fort Collins except for the boxes it was in, nor have I needed those things. I think I'll be ok without them. The easiest way to travel is to own only what you can carry on your back - as seen in Into the Wild. However, I'm not willing to go quite that far. Backpacking has taught me exactly how much I need though.

It's these thoughts that are pushing me to not get an apartment in Telluride. More money plus no lease agreement and fewer obligations equals easier travel. Of course if I stay for the winter, it'll be a different story, but the summer should be nice for camping. In any case this is all good training for living on a sailboat later down the road.