Entries this day: Planning paper pre_trip

Planning

10:40am CST Monday 25 November 2002

Slowly

Slowly

Slowly I am planning my trek out west. I feel so stuck, with so much shit to do first; gotta get organized, prioritized, normalized, coordinized, settled before I go.

I'm on the verge of engaging my Cleaning Mood, which basically throws a lot of shit away and turns upside-down and shakes the Etch-A-Sketch of my life. This seems similar to Jackie's emotionless machine get shit done mood.

I got maps from AAA. I mailed Wende her card thing on recycled paper. The entire trip driving I had Eminem on full blast, rap-yelling along with him. I know a lot of lyrics on the tape I've got.

Okay.

Go.

8:26pm

Lots of cookies eaten, lots of philosophy discussed, lots of steps taken as Janette and I walked to Whole Foods to get sea salt for Josephine's piercing.

I ranted to Janette about my life and how big a chunk I seem to have bitten off this time around, how I have the entire world open to me yet I seem afraid to take a simple trek out west across the states (my own manifest destiny??)... that I just want to learn languages and learn cultures and meet a bunch of people around the world and be all wazzap in different languages and all that. Just to get a sense of what is out there in the world.

That I have no fear of dying, only a fear of being alone.

9:08pm

I have just about finished packing. Just need to pack my nonperishable food and do a bit of laundry and toss bags into the car. Oh, and my bike. Then I'm set.

I'm taking far less stuff on this trek than my eastern state trek.

paper

11:39pm CST Monday 25 November 2002

With Janette's help, Josephine and I each made another batch of recycled paper. Surprisingly (not), Josephine's is pink.

Mine is basically blue-ish, but that's mostly coincidence, except that I recycled some blue paper (more bank account sheets).

pre trip

11:44pm CST Monday 25 November 2002

I feel much better than earlier today. Talking with Janette helped a lot. I got my scrapbook caught up - had lots of notes and movie stubs and pictures floating around.. they are all securely taped to pages in my scrapbook now.

I am basically packed - taking a minimum amount of stuff - just clothes, and my computer and that's it. And my Japanese books and that's it. Plus the rest of the books in my library, and my cell phone, and that's it. Oh, and my bike. But that's it. That's all I'm taking. Plus some money and some letter writing supplies, and that's everything. And Sock Monkey. But nothing more than that.. and my food, but that's it. And my car. And skates in the trunk. But that's all I'm taking. And my camera of course, but nothing else. Along with my sleeping bag and pillow, but that is it; I'm not taking anything else. Except my maps. I'm taking them, but no more than that, I mean it. And my music, but nothing more. Oh, and my toothbrush and stuff, but that's all. And shoes. Nothing else.

I'm pretty tired. I'm doing a little load of laundry, and I'm definitely leaving tomorrow. I was scoping out the map and see cool places like Pie Town, White Sands, Albuquerque, Gallup, four corners, Aztec Ruins Monument, etc etc. Soo much to see!!!

Oh and the grand canyon and all that. I also wanna see Hoover Dam again.

1:28am CST Tuesday 26 November 2002

Wow. So I've been poring over my maps and see so so so so so many options. The simplest thing is to take 30 west, which merges into 20 just west of Fort Worth and 20 merges into 10 just east of El Paso. North-ish of El Paso is Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and north of that is Roswell possibly featuring interesting alien stuff. But if I go north at Abilene, I can see Lubbock (just to say I've been there) and to Amarillo (ditto) and then go west on 40 and be right in the middle of the top of New Mexico and see stuff up there. I forget what.

I decided I was too tired to decide now, so I'm going to bed and will maybe decide in the AM. Or maybe in Big Springs or in Abilene.