Feb. 8, 2007 – Maybe Tomorrow

I am now exactly one month away from what I’m hoping to be my last day on the job. Then, about a week and a half or so after that, I’m on my way to the adventure of my life.

I’m excited and scared on both counts. The job thing is scary because I’ve only had two real jobs in my life. And, yes, I quit the other job, but it’s not like I’ve had much practice at doing something like that. (No, I haven’t told my boss yet. Maybe tomorrow. It’s been “Maybe tomorrow” for about a month now. BLAST!!) It was hard then and it’s hard now. Even though I’m only trying to take a leave of absence from this job, I’m kind of leaving the job in the lurch. I’m a pretty integral part of the staff and know a lot more about the job than anybody who would be coming in even if they’ve been with the company longer than me. This isn’t just me and my ego talking. It’s quite a few people. My immediate boss has been with the company longer than me, but he just got to the spot we work at. He basically has no clue what’s going on. Not a dig at him, but he just got there. How could he have a clue? He’s a good guy and I wish him well with his new position. But I gotta get the fuck out.

Anyway, so there’s that. The second thing is, since I don’t really plan on coming back (hopefully), what will I do about a job when I get back home? Sure, it’s a hurdle to cross when I get there, but these are the things I worry about. What if I have to go back to a job that I hate and I get stuck there even longer. And what happens if the trip falls through? Then I’m stuck at home with no job and no prospects. That’s not so bad because I have a place to stay (thank you again, Melanie, Ed and Megan), and I have money saved up. I could live without a job here in Austin for a few months before I had to get off my ass to actually do something.

But I don’t want to do that. I want this trip to happen, more than just about anything in the world. (Yes, there are things that I want more. We won’t get into those.)

Why am I scared of the trip? I think that’s pretty obvious.

I’ve never done anything like this before in my life. I’m just dropping out of society for a little while to live on the road. What does that mean for a guy like me? What if I didn’t bring the right equipment? I guess there are more stores along the way than there are here in town, so I don’t have to worry TOO much about not having something. Even worse, what if I make a right turn on red in the wrong state and end up in a Louisiana jail? shudder What if camping hatchets are illegal in Minnesota? What if I offend someone in Virginia by saying that black people shouldn’t be slaves?

Ok. That last one is stupid. I don’t care if I offend some freakin’ Kommon Krap Kisser. They deserve all the offending they can get.

My mind is racing in a hundred different directions at fifty different speeds. Should I get this? Do I really need that? Do I have enough music? (That’s never been a concern. I always have TOO much music, if that’s possible.) What the hell will I eat while I’m on the road? Should I bring a lot of stuff? No, a lot of what I eat is perishable. It won’t last too long in a cooler. So, what the fuck do I bring? I’m going to be gone for six months. That’s a long time to be buying shit along the way. And, while I can’t do fast food (one of my goals is to eat healthy along the way), I also can’t afford to stop at restaurants all the time.

If anyone has any advice on things I need to bring or food that I can take with me that is healthy and stays good for a long time, let me know. I’m all ears. Here’s a quick list of what I have:
Tent
Sleeping bag (with technology!)
hatchet (with a knife in the handle. Awesome!)
camping stove
lantern
tarp for the tent
cooler
warm/cool clothes
1000′s of CDs
digital camera

Things I know I need:
first aide kit (with snake bite stuff…ya never know)
food, food, food

a driving partner, preferably a beautiful young lady with a predilection for cheesy to great music

So, that’s my list. I’m sure there’s more on both, but I can’t think of them right now. I’m very tired from a long day of work.

Which means that it’s time to close this section of my new blog. Next time, hopefully I’m a little more prepared for the trip. And, hopefully, I will have told my boss by then.