life @ 13
Monday, November 24, 2008
149.6
this is how much my 3 boxes of life weighed at penn station, divided almost equally to stay under the weight limit of 50 lbs each. of course this meant the remaining 70-ish pounds had to be dragged around on the floor and my back and onto the train, but no big deal. Tom, you are awesome for helping me get my shit to the station, and our cab driver is awesome for noticing that i left my viola in the cab and for coming back to the station.
so after countless months of hemming and hawing, i'm finally out of new york. it was not easy by any means. apologies to the many who had to listen to my ongoing internal debates about the what when why and how.
i was very comfortable (if not a little cold) and surrounded by lots of great people -- this is clearly one of the advantages to being in a large city. i had originally set off to new york to be a bike messenger for a while and to meet a lot of people and i think it's safe to say i accomplished this. i refuse to make any predictions about the length of this trip or what's going to happen afterward, but it's going to be hard not to go back.
as i'm writing this on the train, flipping through recent pictures, of course i'm still thinking about what i'm leaving behind. but at the same time, after being caught up so long in the little details that go into planning a trip and explaining what i'm doing to people who are not necessarily on the same wavelength and trying to gracefully disconnect myself from new york, i'm also reminding myself why i'm doing this.
anyone who has know me knows that while i certainly am capable of logical thought and reasoning, i tend to make a lot of decisions based on little information and lots of instinct. the fact that i NEED to travel underscores this. as great in my life in new york is, i'm always stuck with the sense that shuttling myself between work, home, museums, concerts, bars, and other people's apartments does not constitute a complete life -- for me. maybe i'm exaggerating a little, but this is frequently what it feels like.
i need to get out there and instead of just talking about the world, i need to get a real sense of what this space actually entails. who knows, maybe this represents some kind of deeper longing that not everyone experiences, or maybe it's as simple as an itch that needs to be scratched, but bet the reasons lie somewhere in between. or maybe we can set up a section on intrade where we all can bet on the real reason.
to be honest, i'm not entirely sure what the purpose of this trip is. of course the biking will be great. i will meet lots and lots of interesting people, and will develop connections with everywhere i visit. i'm very keen on becoming acquainted with the world in a very real and physical way, so when i read about what's happening i won't just have an abstract idea about who is affected but will be able to apply my own filters, understanding, and experiences.
this will be my first time camping in the wild, so i will get to spend some good time with the world we are so far removed from in new york. i'm looking to learn some skills that might help make me (us) more self-sufficient -- this is the muddiest part, more details later. i'm keen on getting my spanish (and maybe french) near fluent and being able to hack my way through some other tongues. and, despite the minefield of "(i)s and (me)s" in this post, this trip is as much about having something to give back as it is about myself and my experiences. don't think for a second that i don't appreciate my position in being able to do this with ease.
i'm going to try my best to keep this up to date. as it turned out, one of the most rewarding parts of my last trip was coming back to learn that many of you were following along and sometimes living vicariously. reading back through the central america posts, however, i can't say i'm impressed with the last journal. hopefully, now that i've been living my own life entirely the past 5 years and just a little older and more exierpienced, i'll be a little more lucid and insightful and give you guys a reason to keep reading. and i'll have a digital camera to help illustrate the trip as it happens, and hopefully my little film machine will produce results comparable to the heavier, bulkier ones that will stay at home. if we're lucky one of our creative consultants (brianlightbody.com) will make some more cool jpgs to highlight some particularly awesome events.
again, if you like me and can't remember anything, RSS is a good way to keep up without having to bookmark and refresh. but god bless the refreshers.
i'm looking forward, first and foremost, to being done with moving all my shit around. then, i'm looking forward to spending some good quality time at home. then it will be the beach for a few days, getting my core temp back to normal, collecting whatever last things i might want. then it's time to hop on the bike and explore
-------------------
packing lists. these are always horribly boring. the gear never makes the trip. but it's clear to me that for cycling long distances it pays to be prepared if you have the means. without the bike my list would probably be just a toothbrush and a camera. and maybe some of you get off reading about this stuff, like me.
- marin pine mountain steel mountain bike, circa 2001. one size too small, just how i like it. practically stolen from a 2nd hand bike shop in colorado. 9 speeds and shimano trimmings. kona rigid fork to take a front rack
- CETMA 5 rail front rack. Nitto rear rack. both are cro-moly (i.e. steel not aluminum). spare mounting hardware because shit will break.
- panaracer tires, spare tubes, patches, pump, etc, etc.
- axiom lasalle and nashbar waterproof bags. ancient north face backpack.
- hennessy hammock, 20 degree down sleeping bag, large foam mat (doubles as yoga mat), space blanket, ground tarp.
- spare clothes? nah. buy em as you need em. a pair of wool socks and underwear. otherwise, old tennis shoes, bike shorts, over-shorts, lightweight pants, a couple layers up top, a poncho, and a hat. i plan on wearing the football jersey of whatever country i'm in, and one neutral shirt for border crossings.
- bike computer with altimeter -- COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY but i'm as dorky as most of you reading this, so i'm sure you understand
- brasslite ethanol/methanol burning stove. pot. biodegradable fork and spoon (Amber send me your website so i can promote them!). water filter and iodine tabs.
- alien bike multi-tool, big ass swiss army knife, little flashlight, small channel locks, freewheel tool / chain whip, cone wrenches, grease and chain lube, ball bearings, spokes, cables, etc, etc.
- rear light in case i get stuck riding at night. this usually sucks but it definitely happens
- cheap cell phone. for emergencies, i guess. likely to be ditched
- a novel or two (WIDE open to suggestions, although i'll probably end up reading whatever i can find), guidebook (footprint s. america), spanish dictionary
- zip ties, lengths of velcro (awesome), bungee cords, tape, glue, sewing kit.
- canon powershot sd1100, 3x 4G memory cards, 3x batteries, usb cable, charger. Olympus XA and 10 rolls of various kodak b&w films
- more drugs than i care to admit
- plastic bags
- straw hat
- passports and spare copies
- F harmonica
this is how much my 3 boxes of life weighed at penn station, divided almost equally to stay under the weight limit of 50 lbs each. of course this meant the remaining 70-ish pounds had to be dragged around on the floor and my back and onto the train, but no big deal. Tom, you are awesome for helping me get my shit to the station, and our cab driver is awesome for noticing that i left my viola in the cab and for coming back to the station.
so after countless months of hemming and hawing, i'm finally out of new york. it was not easy by any means. apologies to the many who had to listen to my ongoing internal debates about the what when why and how.
i was very comfortable (if not a little cold) and surrounded by lots of great people -- this is clearly one of the advantages to being in a large city. i had originally set off to new york to be a bike messenger for a while and to meet a lot of people and i think it's safe to say i accomplished this. i refuse to make any predictions about the length of this trip or what's going to happen afterward, but it's going to be hard not to go back.
as i'm writing this on the train, flipping through recent pictures, of course i'm still thinking about what i'm leaving behind. but at the same time, after being caught up so long in the little details that go into planning a trip and explaining what i'm doing to people who are not necessarily on the same wavelength and trying to gracefully disconnect myself from new york, i'm also reminding myself why i'm doing this.
anyone who has know me knows that while i certainly am capable of logical thought and reasoning, i tend to make a lot of decisions based on little information and lots of instinct. the fact that i NEED to travel underscores this. as great in my life in new york is, i'm always stuck with the sense that shuttling myself between work, home, museums, concerts, bars, and other people's apartments does not constitute a complete life -- for me. maybe i'm exaggerating a little, but this is frequently what it feels like.
i need to get out there and instead of just talking about the world, i need to get a real sense of what this space actually entails. who knows, maybe this represents some kind of deeper longing that not everyone experiences, or maybe it's as simple as an itch that needs to be scratched, but bet the reasons lie somewhere in between. or maybe we can set up a section on intrade where we all can bet on the real reason.
to be honest, i'm not entirely sure what the purpose of this trip is. of course the biking will be great. i will meet lots and lots of interesting people, and will develop connections with everywhere i visit. i'm very keen on becoming acquainted with the world in a very real and physical way, so when i read about what's happening i won't just have an abstract idea about who is affected but will be able to apply my own filters, understanding, and experiences.
this will be my first time camping in the wild, so i will get to spend some good time with the world we are so far removed from in new york. i'm looking to learn some skills that might help make me (us) more self-sufficient -- this is the muddiest part, more details later. i'm keen on getting my spanish (and maybe french) near fluent and being able to hack my way through some other tongues. and, despite the minefield of "(i)s and (me)s" in this post, this trip is as much about having something to give back as it is about myself and my experiences. don't think for a second that i don't appreciate my position in being able to do this with ease.
i'm going to try my best to keep this up to date. as it turned out, one of the most rewarding parts of my last trip was coming back to learn that many of you were following along and sometimes living vicariously. reading back through the central america posts, however, i can't say i'm impressed with the last journal. hopefully, now that i've been living my own life entirely the past 5 years and just a little older and more exierpienced, i'll be a little more lucid and insightful and give you guys a reason to keep reading. and i'll have a digital camera to help illustrate the trip as it happens, and hopefully my little film machine will produce results comparable to the heavier, bulkier ones that will stay at home. if we're lucky one of our creative consultants (brianlightbody.com) will make some more cool jpgs to highlight some particularly awesome events.
again, if you like me and can't remember anything, RSS is a good way to keep up without having to bookmark and refresh. but god bless the refreshers.
i'm looking forward, first and foremost, to being done with moving all my shit around. then, i'm looking forward to spending some good quality time at home. then it will be the beach for a few days, getting my core temp back to normal, collecting whatever last things i might want. then it's time to hop on the bike and explore
-------------------
packing lists. these are always horribly boring. the gear never makes the trip. but it's clear to me that for cycling long distances it pays to be prepared if you have the means. without the bike my list would probably be just a toothbrush and a camera. and maybe some of you get off reading about this stuff, like me.
- marin pine mountain steel mountain bike, circa 2001. one size too small, just how i like it. practically stolen from a 2nd hand bike shop in colorado. 9 speeds and shimano trimmings. kona rigid fork to take a front rack
- CETMA 5 rail front rack. Nitto rear rack. both are cro-moly (i.e. steel not aluminum). spare mounting hardware because shit will break.
- panaracer tires, spare tubes, patches, pump, etc, etc.
- axiom lasalle and nashbar waterproof bags. ancient north face backpack.
- hennessy hammock, 20 degree down sleeping bag, large foam mat (doubles as yoga mat), space blanket, ground tarp.
- spare clothes? nah. buy em as you need em. a pair of wool socks and underwear. otherwise, old tennis shoes, bike shorts, over-shorts, lightweight pants, a couple layers up top, a poncho, and a hat. i plan on wearing the football jersey of whatever country i'm in, and one neutral shirt for border crossings.
- bike computer with altimeter -- COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY but i'm as dorky as most of you reading this, so i'm sure you understand
- brasslite ethanol/methanol burning stove. pot. biodegradable fork and spoon (Amber send me your website so i can promote them!). water filter and iodine tabs.
- alien bike multi-tool, big ass swiss army knife, little flashlight, small channel locks, freewheel tool / chain whip, cone wrenches, grease and chain lube, ball bearings, spokes, cables, etc, etc.
- rear light in case i get stuck riding at night. this usually sucks but it definitely happens
- cheap cell phone. for emergencies, i guess. likely to be ditched
- a novel or two (WIDE open to suggestions, although i'll probably end up reading whatever i can find), guidebook (footprint s. america), spanish dictionary
- zip ties, lengths of velcro (awesome), bungee cords, tape, glue, sewing kit.
- canon powershot sd1100, 3x 4G memory cards, 3x batteries, usb cable, charger. Olympus XA and 10 rolls of various kodak b&w films
- more drugs than i care to admit
- plastic bags
- straw hat
- passports and spare copies
- F harmonica
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