gear

come july, these will be all my worldly possessions, save a few toiletry-type items and the pack they're all going in.  that brown bag up at the top is my house, the little crunched up gray bag and the brown thing on the far right are my bed.  my kitchen is right there in the middle - the cookset, the stove, and the fuel canister.  my entire closet is on the left.  it's amazing to pare down the things you own to the things you need and spread it out on your bed and see what you've got.  this is it.  this and a butt ton of macaroni and bixby.  and so many of these things are extraneous - i've thought a lot about the deodorant and the razor and i've decided that i really want them and if i change my mind i can toss them at any time, but i don't need them.  i don't need the pillow or the compass or the journal.  i don't need the flannel shirt (confession: it's cotton, and i've decided that if it's a terrible idea that's a lesson i'm just going to have to learn on my own).  i could lose the chacos (or maybe the boots - we'll see!), and the tick remover since there are tweezers in the medical kit, and probably half of what's in the medical kit to be honest.  i need clothes on my back and something to sleep on and some way to eat and drink.  under those rules probably half this stuff could go.  but right now i'm already terrified enough by this so, so small display of items.  what about my dresses?  won't i miss my pillows?  does bix need a toy (no, duh)?  this is it!  hello summer, hello trail, hello this is my new life!