I leave tomorrow. I am going haywire trying to figure out what of the too many things I have accumulated to leave behind. Do I really need that jumbo size bottle of Ivory body wash? And what about 237 gel energy packets plus 172 electrolyte tablets? Won’t I need that big boost for those Everest-like mountains in Ethiopia? What about flat tires? Will 22 spare tubes be enough? Clothes: “compact dining wear” the list says. What the hell does that mean? Two long-sleeve shirts they say. The two I have are good for traveling…but this third one! Okay, it’s bulkier but I look so much better in it. Take ’em all. And then there are the pharmaceuticals–the uppers when I’m down; the go-to-sleep pills when I can’t and the wake-em up ones when the go-to-sleep pills are too effective. Calculations… calculations. Then there’s that little voice in one’s head repeating that serene Buddhist-like mantra: “less is more…less is more” to which I say: “Go to the blazes you sanctimonious little prig…I’ll take what I want and damn the consequences.”
Ah, the travails of an angst-ridden traveler!
Tom’s TDA 