we all do it, at some point the backpacker or traveler or whatever you call yourself (with the exception of `tourist`because that is never ever uttered by our group) begins the list of "oh it will be nice to ____ when i return home." i started doing it about 5 days ago. initially i stopped myself from this line of thinking as i felt i was getting ahead of myself and wanted to be certain i did not miss a moment of the trip. a few days later though it happened again, then again, and since that time it hasn´t really stopped. to be clear, the list is not long. i will share a few items below, along with a bit of an explanation. oh and before i start, there is no order to this list and i have not put on the list "it will be nice to see, talk to and spend time with friends and family" because i think that goes without saying :-)
1. have the ability to drink water from tap, any tap. having clean water that is accessable in your home is a luxury and while there have been stops along the way where i could indeed drink the water, these stops were few and far between.
2. wear other clothing. i have been wearing the same clothing (more or less) for 5 months and while it makes picking out my outfit for the day fairly easy, the state of my clothing and my enthusiasm to wear said clothing diminishes day by day.
*there are 3 exceptions to this however. i will continue to wear my newly purchased flip flips, my pink turtleneck sweater i purchased in Guanajuato because i was "cold" in the 79 degree evening weather, and the skinny jeans with crazy zippers and other such decorative nonsense i purchased for $4 in Guadalajara.
**i know the admission that i own and prefer to wear the last two items will result in streams of mockery and general teasing...go ahead, i would do it to you.
3. go for a run. as a "runner" (not sure why this is in quotes, for some reason i was compelled) 5 months of not running has not only rejuvenated my running spirit but also left me looking forward to the many runs i will be doing in the Oregon rain!
4. not have to constantly consider, "where can i put, hide, store, lock or pack my passport-camera-money-memory cards?"
5. along this same vein, being able to put something down in one room and leave it there knowing it will be there when i get back. unfortunately this may result in my leaving things everywhere just because i can.
6. listening to my music whenever and wherever i want. i once had an IPOD and then i gave it away. the reason is not important because while i listened to it often, i was not able to listen to it as much as i wanted as it was one of those items that just calls out "look at me! i am a foreigner with a shiny object that costs obscene amounts of money in your country, if it is even available in your country!" yeah i just didn´t want to put myself or the would be thief in that position.
7. use my laptop. ok so this is one of those things that i go back and forth about...i am looking forward to my own laptop, with my own programs and music and photos, and to a quick internet connection. on the otherhand i am not looking forward to being unundated with what the online culture deems as "news" as soon as i open my internet browser. yes i know i can change the settings, and indeed i will. but i also know that my love of unlimited information about almost anything that can be accessed within 60 seconds of being online is going to collide with my desire to defend myself from information overload and unwanted distraction.
8. eat sushi, thai, indian, italian and whatever other types of food my little heart desires. this is not to say that i do not enjoy Mexican or Nicaraguan or Honduran or Salvadoran or the food of every other country i have visited. on the contrary, i have enjoyed almost all of the food i have eaten and with the exception of the few days i was "over" rice, i will happily continue eating and probably missing the foods from these countries. it is only that i am looking forward to other types of food. we in the western world have access to a wide variety of foods (be it in markets, restaurants or our own homes) and i am looking forward to tasting them all again.
9. cooking, in a kitchen with spices and dishes and pots and pans and recipe books. granted, many hostels have shared kitchens with pots and pans but they are not always in the best condition or there are only a few. i am looking forward to cooking AND baking AND making some of my favorite things AND attempting to replicate some of my new favorite things!
10. not packing and repacking and repacking and repacking. granted i will not be returning to my own place. but i will be staying in one place for a while, and it will be someone´s home. so, not only can i unpack, i can also hang things up!
that´s all for now folks.
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