First Post

Hello everyone, and welcome to my first blog. Today is my last day in the United States, and of course there are dozens of little errands to run, items to purchase, phone calls to make, and so on.

I thought it would be interesting to some of you for me to list the gear I will bring with me. But, as you can see from the photo, it would be a pretty long list. For that reason, I will just include the items that aren't obviously mundane.

So, here goes:
Gregory Palisade - 80 Liter Backpack
sleeping bag
sleeping pad
tent - 1 man, tiny
inflatable pillow
2 convertible pants
2 button-down shirts
Rain jacket and pants
Fleece
Long-underwear shirt & pants
Hat - complete with fluorescent orange signal patch and pouch for valuables
Merrell Shoes with custom insoles- still not sure about these but there's only one way to find out
Waterproof bag cover
Camp stove with fuel canister - accepts many types of fuel
Pot, pan, spatula, cup, plate, spork, fork-spoon-knife (when I tire of my spork on day 3)
Insect Repellent - Because I hate mosquitoes
Campsuds - All purpose soap
Zune - Yes, not an ipod.
Treo with collapsible keyboard - for all posts... after this one.
Garmin GPS 60CSX - So I can look like I know how to use a GPS
Solio Solar Charger
Edirol R1 - to record music, conversations, etc.
Camelpak - This thing is just begging to leak
Leatherman
Knife - Because J Hom and my mother are paranoid
Pedometer
The Brothers Karamazov - Great book to start the trip
Various other trinkets

Funny, I thought of this trip as a great way to simplify my life, clear away all the stuff that had accumulated over time, and now I've gone and purchased all this (admittedly useful and fun to play with) crap.

Anyways, the great news is that the bag came in under 40 pounds. A few people had rammed it into my head that nobody succeeds at anything in life if they have a backpack over 40 pounds, so this was a major victory for me.

OK, the plane leaves at 10:30 PM from San Diego with two stops in Cleveland and Newark. I'll spend a few hours with my lovely sister in NYC, leave late and barely make my plane, and then it's off to Milano. I'll talk to you all in a few!