Packing up all your worldly belongings and deciding which to store, bring with, or get rid of, is no small feat. I mentioned this in an earlier post. Having survived camping in a broken tent that I had fully expected to be functional, I began to review what other unfinished business I knew I had packed up in my car or otherwise left hanging over my head. Thankfully, at this point I was only going as far as Reno, where they still have stores and internet access and everything.

Here is the list I came up with at the time, as well as my updates:

The Tent

Deciding setting it up with socks would not be an adequate long-term solution, I threw that one out. Of course, that was only after several weeks of agonizing over whether it was better to send a significantly broken tent to the thrift store or to the landfill. I found a great replacement at Sierra Trading Post for a good deal.

My bike needed new brake pads.

I rode around Reno for a few weeks a little worried every time I headed down hill. Then I took it to the Kiwanis bike workshop that Marie (the friend I stayed with in Reno) was associated with. They replaced them for free and showed me how to do it myself! The important part is making sure the pieces go on in the right order. I could maybe do it by myself in the future. I’ll have the chance to find out pretty soon, because free is great and all, but after three months I’m about ready for another set already.

Car Stereo

You may remember that my car stereo died the week before I was to leave and I was carrying one Ben had given me in a bag in my car, since I did not have time to get it replaced before I left San Diego. I really began to enjoy driving without the extra sensory input of the radio. It wasn’t quiet, exactly, because my car runs so loud, but it left space to be in the void, rather than filling it up with music and chatting I don’t like that much anyway. It was sort of contemplative and meditative. Like a long, though alert, savasana.

Eventually, I did go to Best Buy in Reno to have the old one checked out and to see about installing the other one. I explained to the technicians how I’d been keeping the faceplate off because otherwise it made a horrible buzzing noise. They asked me to put the faceplate back on so they could diagnose the noise. I did and the radio worked fine. The technicians congratulated each other on being able to fix things by just looking at them.

When I went back to San Diego for Thanksgiving, I dropped the newer stereo off with Ben. I didn’t need to spend any more money on the problem or send an old stereo to a landfill! By the time I got to San Francisco, the stereo was cutting out intermittently. Perhaps I should have replaced it after all. I’ve still got the old one, and it works sometimes. Sometimes I turn it off and give it a rest, and just enjoy the space.

Clothes

I packed too many. But it was the first time in years I’d have to dress regularly for really cold weather for more than two days in a row, and I was a little concerned about keeping myself warm enough. The first week I was in Reno, there was the annual half-off sale at the Patagonia factory store. I bought a few mid-weight wicking base layers, as well as a yoga top, which I promptly returned. After a month in cold Reno, I had a pile of stuff filtered out to put into storage when I returned to San Diego at Thanksgiving, as well as a few things to donate to Goodwill. In Seattle, I got rid of a few more things, and accumulated a few more as well. I still think I have too much with me. But the cold has not been a problem. And, I have had the opportunity to wear both the fancy clothes and the costume clothes I packed.

Address Changes

There are a few details that remain to be worked out with that.

Hiking Boots

I packed an old pair of hiking boots that I hadn’t worn in at least five years, because in San Diego I mostly hiked in my Chacos sandals. Maybe I would I need these boots in the winter! I wore them on one hike in Reno, found them uncomfortable, and got rid of them.

Two Purses

Both seriously needed to be cleaned out, so I just threw them in the car. Maybe there was something important in there! You never know! So far I’ve completely emptied one, thrown extra stuff in the the second, and bought a third, which I am using most of the time. I feel silly about this.

Two laptops and an iPad

I use one laptop and the iPad pretty regularly. I’d like to get it down to just the iPad. The other laptop is a project that I really should have just left in storage.

Sewing Stuff

I’m traveling with my sewing machine, two 71-quart (not small) bins of fabric, and two smaller cases of sewing notions. This is the bulk of the reason the backseat of my car is so full. It has been suggested that carrying that stuff is a little excessive. Well, I sewed in Reno, Seattle, and Bend! I made Christmas and birthday presents for people. In Bend, I even used my sewing machine to repair a few pieces of gear for the YogaSlackers as they prepared for the Patagonia race! It would be better if I had, say, only one bin of fabric with me, though I am working on using up fabric and have donated a small pile to the thrift store of some fabric I decided I did not want to use. In Bend, I did buy an iron, but I also realized I could use the base of my handstand blocks covered with a towel for a makeshift ironing board. Good traveling gear is multifunctional!

Traveling around with so much stuff stuffed in my car sometimes feels a little ridiculous, but it has allowed me to live my life in a way that I am comfortable with in several different places so far. It does make me question whether I really need the stuff. For now, I’m lucky to be able to travel with what I want, not just what I need. And, traveling with unfinished projects means I always have something to do!

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