one last night.

Tonight is my first night without a bed of my own. My roommate KC has come home from his travels and moved back into the big bedroom. I am now a house guest sleeping on the couch, and officially homeless. Tomorrow I begin my trek across the mountains, heading to my first destination in Pemberton to visit my friends NK + T and their two lovely dogs!

Packing has been quite an ordeal. I have been making slow progress over the course of the week. That I am leaving behind a great home filled with amazing people has resulted in a strong reluctance to leave. It feels strange, but my anticipation and urge to get on the road seem just as strong.

While packing I am once again amazed at the amount of stuff I have been able to accumulate in only 8 months. Where does it all come from? Part of this trip will be collecting information to use for a research project I am working on with HDF. It's fairly open at the moment, but we are looking into transience and mobility, what people carry with them, and the decisions they make about what to wear. HDF's focus is in fashion.

I was amazed today when KC shared with me and the Danes, TT + AB, what he packed for his trip overseas. 1 pair of each: pants, shorts, board shorts, a few T's and t-tops and a dress shirt, as well as his quintessential flip-flops. He stated the benefits of traveling light, swift mobility, and no need to rush to the next destination to unload. His light load afforded him the freedom to stop, start and change directions on a whim. No need to find a home base, he had what he could easily carry on him at all times. Following this wisdom I have decided to re-pack my bag again tomorrow, to see what I can ditch and how little I can get by on.

TT's advice was to bring only my favourites, and that my special mug provides me with such joy that it is a luxury I should afford myself. I believe it was another friend, CA, who mentioned the other night that he doesn't own anything he can't wear out dancing. My sheepskin slippers are another indulgence I often afford myself. We'll see what tomorrow brings, after a good nights sleep I will reevaluate what's worth taking. I can imagine both: how gloriously indulgent it feels to wear slippers while travelling, or how much I will appreciate them after a summer apart.