When I board my first flight towards Spain this afternoon I will have with me:
- 1 well worn U.S. passport
- 1 wallet containing 2 credit cards
- 1 travel toothbrush and toothpaste
- 1 Sony HX-1 camera, case and charger
- 1 black moleskin notebook containing flight times and confirmation numbers
- 1 pair black boots, freshly polished
- 1 pair of SmartWool socks
- 1 pair of denim jeans
- 1 pair of blue and orange checked boxers (of Spanish origin, coincidentally)
- 1 white t-shirt
- 1 striped dress shirt
- 1 pair of silver cufflinks
- 1 purple necktie
- 1 grey sweater
- 1 black Marmot softshell jacket
- 1 copy of The Adventures of Augie Marsh by Saul Bellow
- 1 keen sense of adventure
- 1 poor sense of direction
- 1 lifetime that I’m doing my best to make extraordinary
My inspiration to travel to another country with nearly nothing goes like this:
A long time ago, my friend José and I were talking about traveling, and he said that the best way to go was with a jacket, a wallet, and a camera. He said that you could buy anything else that you needed while you were there, and that whatever you bought would immediately become a souvenir. For instance, say you went to France, needed some underwear, bought some. Then for months or years after, you might get up in the morning and put on those underwear and think, “I got these in France.” And you’d spend a moment reminiscing about that trip when you wouldn’t have otherwise.
It was with José’s idea in mind that I set off with only a wallet and a camera to San Francisco earlier this summer, and I ended up having one of the most rewarding trips of my life during the day and a half that I spent getting there and back. It not only verified that traveling so light is possible, but it made me want to do it again, and for longer.
I will only be in Spain for four days, but I can imagine a time in the near future when I’ll leave again with pretty much the same list as above, except without any return flights to think about. In a way, by taking trips like this I am providing myself with a very real glimpse of that longed-for day.