The things we carry and the things we leave behind

I sit here at the gym on a stationary bike typing this post on my iPhone and I tell myself, "Na, I won't have a hard time leaving my old life behind to walk in the (relative) wilderness for over half a year."

I think I'm lying to myself.

But, truly, isn't that what a trip like this is supposed to be about? I go to discover for myself what it is I really need in life. My question is then, if do discover that I don't like living without my iPod and Egyptian cotton sheets and daily updates on facebook and twitter, does that make me a shallower person than people who gladly shed these modern conveniences for a more rustic lifestyle?

I'm not sure yet, but I'd like to think that our lives are not so easily defined by what we do or don't consume on a daily basis. I want this trip to be a real chance to explore myself, and to that end there are some changes I am planning to make because they suit my needs for the trip. I've committed to going the entire trip without makeup, a haircut or dye, and not plucking my eyebrows. I haven't yet decided if I will wear deodorant outside the cities, or if I will shave my legs or underarms.

To those experienced hikers reading, these seem like nothing decisions that aren't really what the trip is about. To those reading who would never sleep outside a night of your life, my last paragraph may have grossed you out of ever reading another entry. :) However, the joy I find in planning this trip is that I can be both emboldened and grossed out by the idea that I'll only be averaging one shower a week or maybe even every two weeks. That's what's wonderful about being human; we are not just feminine or butch. We are not just hygienic or un. We are a collage of all our life's experiences.

In this one lifetime we have the chance to experience many different kinds of living. I intend to try as
many as I can.

What about you? What is an experience you've always wanted to challenge yourself to?