Stolen Memories

Repetition

Twisted

Enchanted Forest

Taken in Central Park, NYC, the weekend before Thanksgiving 2009.

Backpacks and Travel

So this is the backpack I bought. It's the Eagle Creek Truist Vita 55L Travel Pack, normally $200 but I got it for more than half off at $95,which comes to about $104 with taxes. Not bad, eh? Good hiking backpacks are expensive, and this one seems pretty good quality for the price. It arrived today, and I immediately became ridiculously happy when I saw that giant box sitting in my apartment complex's office. I just knew it had to be my backpack, because nothing else would need a box that big.

I wasn't sure about the color originally; this model also comes in black and I first thought I would order it in black instead of the maroon color. Black doesn't stick out as much, doesn't show dirt or wear and tear, and seems more neutral. But then I thought, well, I kinda want to be girly with this. Black is so...blah...and seems more like what a guy would have. I'm a girl, dammit, and sometimes I want to show it! Besides, this isn't obnoxiously girly, like those annoying females who buy everything in pastel pink (a color which I abhor), it's just slightly feminine in a matter-of-fact, functional way. Like me.

I know it's a bit of a pipe dream at this point in my life, but I want to travel. I want to visit all the obscure, hidden, out-of-the-way corners and roads less traveled. Buying this backpack makes that dream seem a little more real, like a real possibility. I definitely intend for it to happen in a few years, once I finish school, but of course it's completely out of the question until then. Having this backpack stashed in my closet where I can see it every day reminds me that someday, it will happen. I just need to be patient, which is definitely not a skill I possess. Knowing that this backpack is sitting there just waiting for me to fill it up and hit the road might make it worse, but I'm gambling on being able to use it for a small trip, even to my parents' house or somewhere, which should help.

Yay for making future plans seem a little bit closer!

REI and Stress Relief (not like that!)

I've been having a lot of trouble this term. Take, for example, the fact that I'm writing this post instead of finishing my paper that's due tomorrow, studying for my midterm I have tomorrow, or prepping for the county Board of Supervisors meeting I have to cover for my reporting class tomorrow morning. I need some sort of stress relief to counteract the immense amount of stress school is causing me. Last term I spent long hours in soaking in the bathtub with a glass of wine and a trashy romance novel. It worked pretty well.

However, in January my water heater somehow fried itself and had to be replaced. The new one basically sucks. My water pressure is crap, the water doesn't get hot enough for me, and it doesn't last long enough. Because of this I can't take baths anymore -- I can't get the water hot enough (I like it so hot it's just short of burning), and I don't like feeling cold in the bathtub, so it completely loses its appeal. As a result, that form of stress relief is out.

Unfortunately, the new one I seem to have developed is much, much more dangerous: I've been shopping online. Apparently I've gained an addiction to REI.

Quite frankly, I'm embarrassed and more than a little ashamed by the amount of money I've put on my credit card in the last two months. Not to mention worried. There is absolutely NO way I can pay it off, and due to some late payments I have that horribly high penalty APR of 29% on my card. And even while I'm having a panic attack about this, I still log on to REI Outlet and buy more! I can't control myself! In my defense, I only buy the sale items from REI Outlet instead of the regular REI site (REI is insanely, ridiculously, outrageously expensive).

The way I got started was with the $100 Visa gift card my brother gave me for Christmas. I mentioned that I would probably use it for groceries and my parents told me to make sure to buy something non-food or bill related with it. My original plan had been to get some durable travel-friendly clothes for when I eventually go back to Afghanistan (as I hope I will). So that's what I did. Unfortunately, once I started I couldn't stop. I'm too scared (and ashamed) to even think about totaling up how much I've spent. I've also gotten a few things from ExOfficio, Patagonia, 6pm, and now Old Navy. It's spreading! Ahhhhh!

I'm trying to control myself, and I hope it works. But I've been trying for the past few weeks, and I just spent another $500 or so. I'm hoping to have enough self-control to send most of it back, but I'm not very good at self-control. Basically, I don't have any.

But on the other hand, I've gotten a lot of nice, good-quality clothes that should last me a long long time and serve me well in my future career. I also made the decision to stop buying normal, fashionable clothes and buy these travel clothes instead. Only it snowballed. I meant to do it gradually, over the next few years. Instead I've done it over the past few months. I just bought a hiking backpack that was half off (backpacks are really expensive, so that's actually quite a good deal) and a pair of hiking boots. Those are major purchases, more expensive than anything else I've bought, and the most important so I'm hoping that will cure me of this driving need I have to click that "Purchase" button.

Swans

Buying Bread