Clearing Out

Just over a month before departure day! I've started the gruelling process of getting rid of things I don't use anymore and packing up things that I'll want when I get back. Most things are either going to people who can use them or to the trash.

I've really simplified my life in the past year. Even a year and a half ago, everything that I needed fit tightly into my car for my moves from Iowa to Washington, Washington to Virginia and back. Now, I feel like I can get rid of so many things.

I've already gotten rid of so many clothes since I've lost 30 pounds in the past year, but there are many more that I'll be able to donate. Many books and toiletries that I will be able to give to people before I go. There are so many papers I think I might need, but in reality, I can just toss. I have quite a bit saved from traveling- bus tickets, museum brochures, event information and small souvenirs. Most of the things, I've saved with the intent to scrapbook them, but since that hasn't happened by now, I don't think it will happen. To prevent that happening again, this trip I'll have a few Moleskine notebooks that I will journal, scrapbook and sketch straight into while I'm on my trip.

I won't have to worry about collecting more stuff on my trip. I can only fit so much in my pack. Unless I send things home on the rare occasion, most of my souvenirs will be photos, memories and small things that I can fit in the nooks and crannies of my pack. Hopefully when I come back, I can reduce my amount of stuff to a minimal but reasonable amount.

Hopefully the next few weeks will bring me many trips to Goodwill and to the trash bin.

Rick Steves' Travel Festival

I just got back from Edmonds and a full day at Rick Steves' Travel Festival. I attended lectures on Greece, Turkey, Croatia & Slovenia, Rail Skills, Ireland, Paris and Iran. It was a long day, but I learned a lot, as usual. All of the lectures I had gone to before, but for most it had been a while or I had gone to the same topic by a different lecturer, so it was a good refresher and I of course got some new information. I had to admit, I got pretty bored in the Rail Skills class since I had gone to the course before and have tried to do research online and I knew most of what she was talking about.

On Travel Festival days (about one every three-four months) Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door rents out the Edmonds movie theater and the Edmonds Center for the Arts. I decided to stay in one place, so I attended all the lectures at the movie theater except the Iran lecture, which was at the very end since it isn't Europe. It made life much easier since the classes aren't timed to make it easy to walk across town and make it in time for a class at the other location (but I'm sure it alleviates lines at the Travel Center store).

If you are able to, I strongly suggest attending a class at Rick Steves' ETBD. There are classes every Saturday morning and Thursday nights. I haven't gone to a Thursday class yet- they just started them a few months ago- but I'm sure they're great. If you can't go to a class, go to the Rick Steves' website, http://www.ricksteves.com/, and play around. I really enjoy the graffiti wall, where anyone can leave a suggestion or question on a variety of topics. They don't censor unless something is rude or inappropriate, so the site has a variety of posts.

Before the Iran class, I went to the travel store and bought the Ireland travel book and a set of mesh bags. I wasn't planning on buying the Ireland book initially since it's a whole big book for one country (most of the others are either groups of countries or larger countries) but since I'm flying in, I thought it would be good and as soon as I leave, I can give it away so I don't have to carry it around.

My Camera Has Arrived!

My new Canon SD 890IS came a few days ago. I've played with it some at home, at Cornwall Park, at work and today at Boulevard Park taking pictures of the sunset. It was really cool. There is a special scene function for sunsets that brings out the colors more. Quite exciting.

When I got home, I put the photos on my computer using the SD card reader slot in my laptop and it worked fine. Just took a minute to download them and I went through, using Picasa, to straighten the horizon in the pictures and play with different functions I have on Picasa (Google Photo Album).

Oh, and my camera can hold tons of photos on this 4GB card I have. Very exciting. The only issue I've had so far was the battery running low, but that's to be expected when it gets used like I was using it.

Everthing else is great! Having some nightmares about my trip but in reality, I know they are just small bumps that might happen but in my dream, they are tragic and devestating. I'll just get out all my fears now so none of them come true! :)

Rick Steves' Travel Festival tomorrow! I'm quite excited! I'll get my last minute fill of RS and his posse in a full day of lectures in Edmonds. I'll tell you about it later.