Today!

                  I fly out today! Today! After the past few months of talking about this trip, hearing/heeding all the warnings to be safe, collecting all the gear, and getting all the dreaded shots, today I am finally leaving. To say that I haven't felt butterflies or a couple 'Oh shit' moments on our way back from Edmonton would be a lie. It was the reality of this is actually happening and it's happening for the next six months that contributed to those moments. But they are happy moments and moments of excitement for what is to come!
                   Yesterday, I found reason 1, 254, 688 as to why I love my mother. As I was packing stuff into separate bags so I could find things easier when unpacking my mom came up with the idea of sucking all the air out. She then sat there and helped me for a good half an hour. In the end, it may have caused the reason for me to have too much stuff, but whatever I am grateful.
                    As for the stuff. I have come to think I am an okay packer. Reality check: I like things. By things, I mean that I now have my adult wardrobe that I like and that I have taken a while to invest in. By trying to pack for 6 months in unpredictable weather, for volunteering, trekking, and summering (?), I realized it was really hard to get my things down to a minimal number. Even more, I realized that I like to have my clothing give off a certain style. Yoga pants don't really do that. But does it really matter? No. It really got me thinking about a minimalist lifestyle. About what it would mean if we could only carry the clothes we had on our backs always. What would society as a whole look like? It's an interesting concept to me and I am hoping that over the course of this six months, I'll attach even less ideas to the things I've brought. I hope to leave them places for people who need them more than me and make myself feel that much lighter.