(Originally posted on 21 August 2016)
Make the backpack, unload the backpack. Make the backpack, unload the backpack. Make the backpack, unload the backpack…
A pilgrim has to take care of his backpack before the travel starts, in such a meticulous fashion as a warrior preparing for the battlefield, or a Zen master reflecting on his feelings before the lesson. The backpack will be his best friend, the contact point with the real world, and most of the time, a means closer to heart than his brain.
Last time I thought I had brought only the essential, but I was proven wrong. I arrived at Santiago without sunglasses, one shirt, a pair of slippers and my beloved notebook. I finished the path, looked back, and promised to myself that next time I would also take with me only the essential. Unfortunately, I did not have that courage..
So, here we are again:
walking shoes
slippers
3 t-shirts
2 pairs of trousers
a sweater for the cold mornings (or the Skype calls..)
Marseille soap in dust
my stick (Wilson), hoping that Ryanair will allow me to travel with it
underwear
a sleeping bag
my favourite sunglasses
a wonderful Harvard cap
bracelet
earplugs
earphones
3 rings
charger for my smartphone
a couple of bandanas
comb
shampoo
toothpaste and tootbrush
sunscreen for the face
k-way
essential medical stuff
a couple of towels
ah, and a laptop. 2 damn kilograms of laptop.
I know that bringing a laptop seems unnecessary, but a smartphone is just not sufficient to manage all the daily contingencies in a lawyer’s life. Last time I brought an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard, and I had to reply to emails and work on contracts with such bare bones set up. It wasn’t ideal.
I’ll have to pay the price for every damn kilogram. And I’ll pay the price for carrying that damn laptop. I’ll blame myself and start yelling and complaining when I feel the pain on my shoulders, on my heels, and on my knees. But I would not be able to do a decent blog or manage my daily tasks without it.
And as long as I can do my stuff, it’s fine for me.
