Suburbia, U.S.A.

I am now fully transitioned from by urban one-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom, two bath suburban home with my brother and his family. The only thing missing is the dog or cat (although, we apparently have some fish that seem to be multiplying).

Living with other people again is a bit weird. I'm used to just stripping, hopping in the shower and then meandering back to my bedroom to figure out what I'm going to wear. Now I have to figure all that stuff out before heading to the bathroom. It's like living with my parents or dorming at college again. But, at least I don't need to bring a shower caddy and wear slippers to the bathroom anymore.

Over the weekend, I moved the rest of my stuff to Kapolei with the help of my dad and brother. Even after downsizing by a considerable amount (in my opinion), I still have a ton of stuff. Some of it is still out in the living room, but I've managed to squeeze everything into my new bedroom. As I slowly begin to unpack, I find myself questioning my own sanity. I mean, does one person really need ten pairs of sweats/workout pants? That seems entirely ridiculous, especially when the person in question doesn't even work out! Also, despite donating and tossing about 15 pairs of shoes, I seem to still have another 15 pairs to boot. This is really the epitome of American excess, don't you think?

On Sunday, my dad and I scoured my old place and I can tell you I haven't worked that hard in ages. We only got about three quarters of the way through, but my body was waving the white flag by the end of the day. Not surprisingly, cleaning dirt and grime off of jalousies is no easy task. I highly recommend against that type of window treatment if you have the choice. We're planning to go back this weekend to finish up the job and turn in the keys. Hopefully after all the cleaning I'll get my full deposit back. That'll really help add to the round-the-world trip slush fund.

This morning I made my first early-morning commute after not having driven in the long distance traffic for over six years. It was interesting. I left at 6:30 a.m. and made it in an hour by taking a special route that a friend of mine suggested. I'll try it again tomorrow but will take the regular route and see how much faster/slower it'll be. So far, it's not as bad as I thought it'd be. Of course, this is still a novelty and will surely wear off with time. Check back in a month and I'll be a raging maniac.

Moving to Kapolei

I have been busy the past few weeks prepping my move out to Kapolei. After more than three years of living on my own just minutes from work, I'm trading it in for the sake of saving some money. I'll be living with my brother and his family rent free until I leave for my world traveling adventures in 2011.

My stuff is half packed and my couch and computer desk are gone courtesy of Craigslist. I've made several trips to some non-profits in the area who will be benefiting from linens, towels, dishes and other kitchenware.

Moving does have its perks as I am forced to really minimize all my worldly possessions to fit into one room. Surprisingly, it hasn't been as tough as I thought. I guess I'm not that attached to things. Still, I do have a lot of junk that I need to wade through and decide if they stay or go.

Maybe living out of a backpack for a year won't be as difficult as I thought?