Pack It Up, Pack It In

The journey of a thousand miles may begin with a single step, but for me it also involved stuffing two packs with what I deemed the most essentaial items for a four-month stint wandering around Mexico. For those of you who were lucky enough to witness the packing process first-hand (sorry about usurping your living rooms, Mom, Dad, and Becky), you´ll remember the piles, the consultations (“If I pack the raindrop t-shirt, will it really guarantee four months of sunshine?”), and the fashion shows (“Which ABC t-shirt is more flattering?”). It´s interesting to see which items made the cut, and if there´s not already some branch of psychology that examines a traveler´s pack to gain insight into her personality, I propose its creation. So what did fill those packs, and what does it say about me? Well, there´s the expected...the clothes (a deire to sucumb to cultural norms?) and the guidebook (a need for control and to have a plan?); the unexpected...the Slovak language study guide (a missing cultural heritage?) and a clothesline (a response to societal pressure to become domestic?); the necessary...sunscreen (a recognition of my own vincibility?) and an umbrella (pessimism?); and the unnecessary...Just for Redheads shampoo (vanity?) and a tub of hand lotion that smells like chocolate frosting (an addiction to sweets?) Even more telling, though, are the intangibles that I decided to bring along: a little bit of courage, a lot of curiosity, and a sense of humor; and those I left behind: self-doubt, worry, and fear. (Don´t worry, Jenn, the latter aren´t stored away in your attic; I´ll let Public Storage deal with that.)
My packs and I arrived in Guanajuato yesterday. I hope that what I brought along serves me well.

Stay tuned: ¡Lucha libre!