Stuff!

Part of doing this big hike is trying to live up to my values. I believe we Americans spend too much of our precious time on Earth trying acquire and protect stuff. And here I am trying to prepare for the big hike and I'm spending a lot of mental energy worrying about stuff!

Do I have enough shoes? Do I have enough socks? Do I have enough of the right kinds of pants or shirts or little doo-dads? Should I bring this thing or that? Will I need it? What if I don't have it and I do need it? What about stuff I've never in my life used that other people swear by? Will I be sorry if I don't bring that stuff?

I have to remember that there are trail towns along the way and if I forgot something I can always pick it up along the way. I can also ask family to mail me things I need. More than likely, I will discover that most of the stuff I bring isn't necessary.

If I let my Nepal trip be my guide, there's not a lot of stuff I actually need. I brought way too much stuff to Nepal. I used almost nothing of what I brought. The only thing I wished I had brought but didn't is my Sierra stove that burns wood for fuel. I could have made my own hot water for bathing. Otherwise, I could have sent home more than half the stuff I brought and been much happier.

Stuff is the bane of existence, really. Look at my house. What a mess!