Catharsis

What is essential? Can this item serve another purpose? How much space will this take up? How much does 1 pound really weigh? How often will I need to access this? These are the types of questions you ask yourself when packing a 28L backpack which will hold all of your belongings over the next few months.

Less than 12 hours before I was planning to drive back to Michigan, I was invited to move in with the Urreta's (Carlos's family) after knowing them for a little over a week. Can't you tell they're a very spontaneous and accepting bunch? I have been living with them for almost 2 weeks and have eaten the most amazing vegan food! White bean zucchini and butternut squash soups, sweet potato fries, roasted chickpeas (a snack that is made almost daily), lentil curry, morning glory muffins, mac and cheese, sweet potato quinoa cake, etc. It's the most amazing feeling to be able to share food with people you live with and know that everything in the fridge and pantry is "safe" to eat. We've also had many great conversations, shed tears, and exchanged hugs.

Since my time at the farm was over, I decided to move up my travel date to Cambodia to June 13th. That's right... less than 2 weeks away! And I'm keeping myself busy in the meantime: going to a coffeehouse acoustic show featuring one of Carlos's friends, going hiking at Breakneck Ridge, studying for and taking the GRE, running and training for the Obstacle Apocalypse, driving 13 hours back to Michigan, saying goodbye to my family and taking the South Bend train into Chicago before staying overnight for my early morning flight out of O'Hare.

Weighing in around 20 lbs. Good thing my shoes will be on my feet along with some of the clothes in the pack.

REI was my store of choice for most of my travel gear. It is incredibly important that my clothes be moisture-wicking and fast-drying since we will do laundry by hand in a very humid climate. And they had to fit perfectly since I don't have many options for outfits. Many other items had to be purchased in travel sizes.

Wearable items

2 tank tops

2 t-shirts

1 long-sleeve shirt

1 pair of pants that convert into shorts

1 pair of shorts

1 pair of board shorts

1 rain jacket

4 pairs of socks

3 sports bras

5 pairs of underwear

1 pair of sandals

1 pair of hiking shoes

1 pair of VFFs

At least I'll never have to ask, "What should I wear today?"

Toiletries

(All of these items fit in a "mini" nylon bag)

Electric razor w/ charger

Deodorant

Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap 

(shampoo, body & face wash, and laundry detergent combined into one product. Can even be used as toothpaste in a bind!)

Comb

Hair clips

DivaCup

Nail clippers and file

Q-tips

Toothbrush w/ a tip cover (have to grab it from Michigan)

Toothpaste

Moisturizer

Sunscreen

Various medicine/supplements (lots of vitamins with B12 pictured)

Floss

Tweezers

Quick-dry towel (on the way)

Bug spray

Required 1-quart bag for carry-on liquids

Electronics

Laptop with charger

Cell phone with USB charger and hands-free headset (serves as headphones and mic for voice calling)

Universal outlet adapters

Misc

Notebook

Pen

Sleep mask w/ earplugs

Wallet (replacement on the way)

Passport

Vega nutrition shake packet (50% of daily vitamins plus fiber and protein)

Vegan meal in a pouch for the 13.5 hour flight

Even my black day pack rolls up to fit in my 28L backpack!

The family and I went to the Veggie Pride Parade in NYC last Sunday. Janani and I didn't stay at the parade long since the vibe was like a punch in the face: "Vegan or GTFO." Instead, we walked around East Village and ate lunch at Quintessence which is a raw food restaurant. I had the lasagna. Dessert was found at Stogo where I had a small bowl of mint chocolate chip and chocolate brownie ice cream which made me weak in the knees! Janani's combination of chocolate sorbet and chocolate brownie was even better than mine. The ice cream parlor was the perfect place to people watch for a couple hours, complete with snarky commentary.

The spiced fig dressing was delicious!

Very filling despite what others have told me about raw food

This is why I will never drive here!

I also got a chance to meet up with an old e-friend. Dan and I moderated a straight edge group on Facebook from 2005-2007 or so. He was even more awesome in person and still, of course, drug-free at soon-to-be 30 years old (wish I could come to your birthday dinner!). We met in Jersey City at an Indian restaurant called The Village since we stumbled upon their free parking lot in the craziest non-downtown area I've ever been in. Once again, I forgot to take a picture of the two of us so this will have to suffice:

Twins?