Thoughts on Packing the Carry Ons

(303 represent!)

As most who know me will attest to-I'm a little crazy when it comes to packing. I'm a minimalist and love chances to compress life into as small a quantity as possible and down to the bare necessities. Packing for the Peace Corps presented a challenge since I don't really know what the bare necessities of a developing country are, let alone when staying for two years, and I plan on jotting down any efficiencies or key things for me to remember over the course of these 2 years.

On my flight over here, I took a computer bag that had a ton of stuff in it, all stuff that I figured would be useful for the full day of flights and layovers. But when it came down to it, all I really used were the Kindle, my journal/pen, the Board Game Book, and iPod/iPhone/Headphones. I could have just as easily used my Nike satchel rather than a full backpack.

My second carry on was packed perfectly for arrival. I basically packed two suitcases, one that I could live out of for at least five days and a second, massive one with everything else, that I've hardly yet gone into and if it was lost, would not have missed it until it was found. The only regret I have is that I know I am already going to need a bigger backpack for traveling purposes and I wish I got it in the states rather then being forced to order it online. I have a feeling I'll be utilizing the expertise of my stateside sister and resident Ehrenreich wilderness expert to help with this.

Carry On Contents:

2 pairs of pants (wearing 1 pair of jeans)

2 short sleeve collars (wearing 1 collar)

2 long sleeve shirts

1 sweater

1 suit jacket

1 light jacket

5 undershirts

5 pairs of briefs

3 pairs of socks

1 pair of shoes (wearing loafers)

1 pair of athletic shorts

toiletries

yoga block

suspenders/belt

Day 17 and 18: Dead Horse State Park and Hanging Lake

It is easy to fall in love with the American Southwest. It has a martian like quality, red monoliths towering above you, striated cliffs, plateaus thousands of feet above sea level just hundreds of feet from canyon drop-offs. As we wandered around, from camping spot to mountain town to camping spot I had to balance a rational knowledge that it would be too rural to truly live here with a captivation rarely felt before. You become infatuated with this mountainous deserts and obsess over how to stay in a past moment.

Our last campground was beautiful, the ground was a red sand the color of a schoolhouse and soft as chalk. Our tent had had enough however, and struggled to stay up as one of the poles finally broke. We dined better than any other campfire, making grilled zucchini, onion, and pepper quesadillas.

The next morning, in a flash of genius, Nick remembered that Hanging Lake was open again after being closed for the season and as we drove back to Denver, we took a detour at Glenwood Springs and take the steeply graded hike up to the mirrored lake. We ate lunch in front of a waterfall that poured 30 feet down into the lake below. It was our last hike together and the last activity on Nick's, MD's and my mental checklist of things we wanted to do together.

We were blessed with another road trip miracle when we pulled up to Nick's house, his parents mysteriously away from the premises. We were able to unpack, put away, and get out, with only moments to spare. Pulling up to MDs we inhaled relief and exhaled nostalgia for our long and epic journey that had finally come to an end.

Day 16: Zion Canyon

Today was our last campfire. We're camping tomorrow but we're only allowed to use charcoal, so this one mattered. It was a very low pit but we made a huge fire anyway-Nick's become quite the fire genius after getting into the swing of things again. We pressed paninis with turkey, ham, avocado and swiss. Then we made Jiffy Pop, the popcorn in the covered aluminum pouch that you hold over the fire with a provided for handle. It came out wonderfully, probably the best popcorn that I've had. I'm not saying this because we were at our last campfire of the roadtrip, this popcorn was immaculately popped and perfectly buttered, not a single bad kernel.

This came as somewhat of a surprise because the cashier at Wal-Mart was rather ominous about our Jiffy Pop. "You can return this if it doesn't work, like if it all burns, you know. I mean, there doesn't even have to be popcorn in it". We weren't sure if this was a warning spoken from experience or a bit of Wal-Mart insider knowledge on how to beat the corporate machine. Watch out Wal-Mart, you've got a disgruntled employee at the Scottsdale store.

This evening was a perfect cap to a near-perfect day (more perfect only if Evan was still on the road with us). We spent the day in Zion, an incredible and spectacular National Park. This was by far the best run Park we've been to. Visitors used a free bus running every five minutes instead of your own cars. It would go up through the major trail heads and scenic views, narrated by a tour guide giving a bit of history and explanation of the park. And the trails were amazing.

We put on our watershoes and swimsuits one last time (..le sigh) to hike the Narrows, a great multi-terrain (read: land and water) hike through Zion canyon. The bus dropped us off at the top of the route and we hiked up another mile to a river bank. At this point we had to begin wading the river. Soon enough we were waist deep in the water laughing and splashing and taking photos. The hike continues down the river, at times we'd be wading waist deep or more across the river. Other times picking over rocks on land or under small rapids. Each meandered turn revealed a unique spot. Some beautiful, others dramatic, others still ancient. Eventually we had to turn back, if only to ensure we would be out of the narrows by sunset.

hustlers at a roller rink, blues in a jazz club

Yeezy's latest G.O.O.D Friday track is over seven minutes long, and it opens with Mos Def. Mos can be hit or miss, but here his lazy voice is poetry reclining under shimmering strings with a deep bass floor. Ye, Rae, Swizz Beats, and Charlie Wilson each pour out their soul rolling down on the beat. This is worth checking out.

From Mr. West's University himself: Lord Lord Lord

Shuffle/Play #6

A while ago I had a series called shuffle/play, where instead of designing playlists I would throw up the 25 minutes or so of music I had been most frequently listening to. With 7 days left, these are the seven songs I've been listening to most extensively. Its safe to say that if I'm listening to music on my computer, I've probably listened to one of these songs in the last 20 minutes.

Eminem-Cold Wind Blows

David Bowie-Rebel Rebel (2003 version)

Drake feat. Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, and The-Dream-Digital Girl

Robyn feat. Snoop Dog-U Should Know Better

Discovery-I Want You Back

Ben Folds Five-Not the Same

Kanye West feat. Pusha T-Runaway Love

Copy paste this link into your browser to get it: files.me.com/joshehr/bl13n5

Kanye West ft/Pusha-T - Runaway

i love pusha-t and didn't hear this, i love it. when i saw thats what you sent i watched the vma performance first. he is so brilliant. basically a great live music video and his moment back in the scene, basking in the glory of us waiting on his every move.

i've been addicted to this good friday shit. its all in my rotation. basically, as it has been for the past decade, i cannot stop listening to kanye.

Get vid and song here

15 Podcasts: Number 4

Next in the almost-but-not-completely forgotten 15 Podcasts project is 'Margaret's First Mix'. Unlike the other 14, this podcast was recorded by Margaret. MD is taking care of all my vinyl and stereo setup for the next 3 years and the goal of this mix was to teach her how to effectively navigate a mixer and appropriately use the levels, adjust the gain, and listen for transitions. You can hear some volume adjustments and level play, but its a pretty varied mix, ranging from Bright Eyes to Jay Z, Japandroids to Salt 'n Pepa, and a solid listen.

Download Podcast 4, MD's first mix, here (you'll have to copy and paste, I don't know why): files.me.com/joshehr/kofyy2.mov

Babysitting the turntables and vinyl may sound awesome, and it may be. But I imagine that it will have its annoyance come move time. Luckily there are flight cases for those bad boys. Thanks MD for taking care of them!

Day 15: Kanab, The Western Legends Festival, and Haley and Alex

We got quite a late start leaving Scottsdale and so we found ourselves arriving in Kanab late at night, and every intersection we passed, we saw cops. This was beyond a normal small town welcoming party, but we thought nothing of it as we were more focused on task of finding a hotel room. Apparently we had caught the culminating night of the Western Legends festival and sign after sign displayed 'no vacancy'.

We first met Haley and Alex outside a Roadside Inn. They were being told no occupancy as I was coming to learn just that. Haley had a face that smiled easily, which was having difficulty breaking through the frustration experienced. Alex's smile, through disposition or delirium was glued on. This was the fifth place they had tried, and it was our fourth.

We saw them again at Best Western and once more at Comfort Inn. As we walked outside I decided it was time to pool our resources "There's a room at Best Western a bit more than we wanted to pay" Apparently the Western Legends showcase was hot stuff out here in rural Arizona. Also, Haley informed us, a sniper had shot and killed a police officer that very night filling the remaining rooms with news crews.

As our room was being processed we got to talking. They were on a cross country road trip from Miami and camping along the way just like us. At this point in our trips we were on the same route. Just like us they were coming up from Scottsdale after hitting Vegas and heading towards Moab and then Denver.

We began comparing notes in the room. Coolers were necessary for manageable food costs (us), and craft supplies were necessary for sanity (them). We both agreed that Scottsdale sort of sucks and Bourbon and boxed wine are the beverage of choice. There were only two of the in a larger car so their packing was a bit more eclectic. We nodded approvingly of their fake moustaches and Nick gasped with delight at the integrity, if impracticality, of hefting a 40lb typewriter across the country. Alex showed us the drummel he had purchased on Route 66 to begin glass engraving, largely using Mountain Goats' lyrics. And somewhere between 'I have weed' and 'god bless you' we knew that there was much more to do with Alex and Haley.

After seeing Boggle and their excitement over the Board Game Book, Nick decided it was a perfect duo to introduce Bananagrams to and we spent the night shouting 'Peel,' drinking bourbon, and laughing at each others puns. It was awesome to meet people completely new after weeks of the company of each other.

A couple studly pics from the wedding

I've begun the editing process from Sam and Jessica's wedding. Its great to see some of the outstanding shots of the bride and groom, but let's face it, we're always interested in our own as well. Here are a couple of yours truly as a total stud.

A brief review of the new Kindle

Apparently it is not uncommon for the Best Man to receive a gift and yesterday I was given a Kindle Wi-Fi by my brother. I was really excited and its a great idea for me especially. Not only do I value the portability digital books give but a few months ago I had to make the difficult decision to return my iPad being uncertain about wireless coverage in Azerbaijan.

There are many great points about the Kindle. First and foremost is its size. The Kindle is startlingly slender, the size of a thin paperback book. Amazon really crafted a device that could create an emotional reaction to the user. Light enough for one hand but inviting enough for both, it is an enjoyable replacement for the physical book. Additionally it is easy for the eyes view for extended periods. The eInk is much easier on the eyes then an LED screen and it displays text with the right amount of contrast. The battery life, as has been frequently lauded, is outstanding, with or without the Wi-Fi on.

There are other details, more subtle, that make the Kindle a joy. The hold screen randomly selects an author image or classic book illustration to display while waiting for you to come back to it. Even watching the ink change from one page to another is enjoyable, simulating the space between transitioning from one page to another. The plastic casing, matching either the text or the background truly does enable the Kindle to begin to disappear in your hands.

There are certain annoyances, but these are more recommendations than downfalls. The store navigation, from the Kindle itself, could stand to be improved. I would like to see Amazon concept their store navigation more similar to the bookish way the Kindle operates. I love how you can use the page forward button to view a book from your search results, but allow me to continue to use the forward button to sample it. Its sort of a pain to go back to the home screen to sample, then go back to the store and redo my search. This is especially the case if you are looking for a specific edition. It would also be nice to customize my home screen in a way thats different from the standard author, date purchased etc.

The Kindle as a device is superb at doing one thing. I really don't view it as an iPad competitor (though it is certainly an iBookstore competitor) and Amazon might not either, as evidenced through its availability of Kindle software for numerous devices. The iPad is just too multi-functional to be truly considered in the same boat as this device. I could picture owning both and probably will at some point. What intrigues me most about the Kindle is the WhisperSync technology that Amazon is using to power its store. In a matter of seconds a book I've purchased online is on my Kindle, my iPod Touch, and my computer, not even Apple is doing that. This is a company that has very effectively capitalized its IT structure as packable services for other companies (such as Fulfilled by Amazon and Elastic Cloud Computing) and WhisperSync has tremendous potential for both furthering their retail arm and their corporate web services offering.

Day 14-A Postscript

Nick was driven mad last night by incessant chirping of a cricket and finally, in the dead of night, his rage had turned to bloodlust. He believed he had localized the sound to behind the refrigerator. Upon grabbing a cricket killing tool, in the form of a piece of cardboard, he wisely did a 'bug check' and found a scorpion hanging out and can certainly be assumed he was likely plotting the painful and agonizing end to Nick. As Nick recounted in the morning, he involuntarily dropped the cardboard and made a sound somewhere between chocking and dry heaving. Frantically he seized a scorpion killing tool as the evil 'Y' scurried across the floor, finally killing it in a primal surge of adrenaline.

Fueled by the success of one bug death, he furiously slid the cardboard under the refrigerator in a vain attempt of smashing the insect against the wall. The cricket must have wizened up after hearing the commotion of bloodshed because Nick told us how he sat in from of the refrigerator, silently in the dark, until he was satisfied that the cricket had learnt his lesson. Vindicated Nick sleepily made his way back to the couch, getting comfortable just in time to hear the cricket, now joined by older and louder brother, begin anew.

The arachnid slayer himself. Probably calling in a hit.

More of Evan's awesome photos

And here are more photos from someone far more talented that I. Check them out:

San Simeon

Venice Beach

Grand Canyon

Days 13 and 14-Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon, and Scottsdale

Day 13 was a driving day. We left Vegas after eating massive omelets (thanks slot machines!) and drove throughout the day to camp right outside Grand Canyon park. Thankfully we had Nick's burned Moth Podcasts. The Moth Podcast is an ongoing storytelling project, recording great stories, usually grouped by theme. Some are hysterical, others white-knuckle tense, others still tearful. All of them are true. I highly recommend checking out this podcast.

For our last campfire with Evan we drank box wine and fire-grilled peanut butter sandwiches while Evan took long exposure shots in the moonlight. We listened to the original War of the Worlds radio broadcast and fell asleep to Native American drumming and signing in the distant background.

We headed to the North Rim for the spectacular views and Nick's most 'not-approved-by-a-mother' Jumping Across America photo. Though almost directly north of Scottsdale on the North Rim, we had to drive a massive distance simply to cross the canyon to make our southward trip to Scottsdale. It was a relief to get there for all of us. Evan and Hanna were reunited, we all could shower, and our dirty clothes could finally be cleaned. We all felt ready to see what Scottsdale had to offer.

One of the best things Scottsdale has to offer is a certain Mr. Christopher Campbell and he made the excellent suggesting to head to a gourmet burger place called 25 degrees for dinner. We had a feast, with Christopher and I saying an emphatic yes to everything suggested and presented. Cheese plates, sweet fries, onion rings, and the succulent burgers we created. It was all outstanding.

Afterwards we headed to Karaoke. This was not a beginners Karaoke bar, the people here had talent. Singer after singer impressed us with their song selection, as well as their voice. And the crowd ate up each performer; they expected, and were given, a performance, song after song. We showed ourselves worthy of the microphone and were each rewarded with cheers of approval. We headed back to Evan's drunk and stuffed, smiling and exhausted.

Day 12-Viva Las Vegas

The most important part of our trip to Vegas was that the first dollar I spent (well technically it was Evan's dollar since I only had a 20) won me 150 bucks. I'm down with any Vegas trip if it goes like this. From there it was right to the bar for doubles for everyone including Will and Tandee, Evan's friends from Scottsdale. We wandered around the strip, drunk on the ability to go anywhere with open containers. So much pandering, so much indulgence. Vegas, is like the village Pinochio finds himself after being stranded at sea.

Day 11: Venice Beach

One of my favorite themes found across this road trip has been how much we've been playing in the water. Swimming in Teton, drenched by the Seattle fountain, sunning on the shores of Lake Tahoe, and cruising down the Pacific coast in Big Sur. Visiting the beach yesterday, we were immediately bummed we didn't have our suits on, but also knew that we really needed to give ourselves time and prep for an entire beach day.

And we basically became the poster children for excellent beach days. Laying out our towels to play in the ocean and body surf on the waves. Evan caught the best one, cresting at least 10 feet high. After waging our war against the waves we ran back to our towels, basking in the sun, deepening our tan, and reading magazines amidst the clammer of countless other people beginning their own war against the tides. We buried Margaret in the sand and ate fruit and nuts. This point in the trip, our bathing suits had become a second skin, and it was no small disappointment to leave our costal paradise and join the throngs on a stationary LA highway.

Ice Apocalypse

Due to events in our LA hotel room, now would be a good time to explain the concept of 'Icing Bros'. This is a phenomenon tracing its roots to the frat houses across our great nation, involving Bros and Smirnoff Ice, a malt beverage that tastes a bit like Squirt. Its a girly drink and, aside from its 4.5% alcohol content, completely worthless. A bro will hide a Smirnoff Ice somewhere another bro will find it, such as under a pillow, toiletry bag, etc. When that bro finds it, he has to drop to 1 knee and chug it, no matter when or where. But, and this is a big but, you can counter ice. If your bro has just 'iced' you and you have a Smirnoff Ice on your person, you can counter ice your bro and he has to take a knee and drink both. Originally, I was going to post some YouTube vids of bros getting iced, but they're as pathetic as you'd expect lo-res vids glorifying binge drinking to be.

Of all people, it was MD who introduced this hilarious concept to us. And it got real the night of Day 10. Nick and Margaret DD'd Evan and I back to the hotel after a long night of drinking. Getting ready to climb in bed, Evan lays his head on the pillow, only to find his hand lying on a 24 oz. MD sprang out of bed: 'You just got iced bro! Take a knee!'. I'm laughing pretty hard at Evan until I rest my head on the pillow and find a 24 oz underneath and my face turns to shock. The ice in our room is so intense.

Well, Evan and I will not this act of aggression go unanswered. The next night, I had to leave the group early to desperately catch up on Peace Corps emails. But before I get back to the room I stop to pick up a six pack and prepare an Ice Apocalypse. After Nick, MD, and Evan get back from the bars, they get a hint of what's about to come when Nick discovers an Ice under his bedsheets.

The mood next morning is tense. Margaret is convinced there is an Ice under anything that is capable of covering. After getting iced once more from his luggage, Nick immediately runs downstairs to pick up an Ice in the lobby. Evan is iced from his laptop case while Margaret refuses to change, convinced that she's felt an Ice in her luggage. It's not there but is in her backpack and she's finally forced to drop a knee. Nick finds on in his toiletry bag, but counter ices Josh with the one he just picked up. Mysteriously we're still missing one at the conclusion of the Ice Apocalypse and we leave glad to know that soon a member of housekeeping will be forced to drop a knee.

Day 10: Escape to LA

We woke up to the sound of cars peeling out. It was early, but groggily we emerged from our tent to begin considering the day. While getting my yoga mat, I'm struck with how bad I must smell due to the flies surrounding me. I share with Margaret that a shower will be a relief for me and my ego and she informs me its not just me. At this point I realize there are flies surrounding her as well, in fact, there are flies everywhere. We break camp in 20 minutes, faster than ever, to get out of the Den of Flies.

Margaret was able to use her mighty PriceLine abilities (seriously, they're incredible) to get us a room at the incredible Hotel Bonaventure, a beautiful 4 star in downtown LA featured in Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and Logan's Run. This hotel was space age, a cylinder surrounded by four circular towers which in turn were surrounded by 3 glass elevators apiece that shot up for spectacular views of the city.

Refreshed we piled back into the car in search of food and beach. We devoured some awesome Carribian food before heading down to the Venice Beach Boardwalk, gawking at street performers, crazies, exhibitionists on Muscle Beach, and an American Apparel factory outlet store. We walked up to a woman sitting out on the beach in hopes of socializing her three 8 week old puppies. The next hour was spent on the ground paralyzed with laughter as ferocious puppies licked our faces and brought our ears into submission.

That night we met up with Alex in the hip and trendy part of LA and headed to Malo, a grommet taco and tequila bar. I gorged on tacos like ceviche lime and barbacoa pickle while drinking tequila and Tecate, while Animal Collective played on repeat. Walking back towards Alex's, we dropped into 4100, a quiet bar with heavy draped curtains, buddha statues, and lots of candles. Nick and MD met back up with us here and drove us home.

Days 8 and 9: Big Sur

The Matrix is not a powerful driving machine, but when you're hundreds of feet above sheer drops into the ocean, switchbacking up and down the coast, going from 50 to 20 back to 50 you don't really feel at a loss. The drive was beautiful; uninterrupted views of the ocean as you raced downhill plunging into windswept cliffs. We caravanned with Adam's car to go camping along Big Sur and take the universally lauded drive down the coast to San Simeon. Within minutes of setting up camp we ran to the ridge where we could watch the flaming sun disappear behind silhouetted mountains. Now it was time to party. We had a good ol' campfire feast, hot dogs, corn, pork and beans and a lot of alcohol.

Adam heard good things about a place called Limekiln beach. so we headed back up for a hike. This area felt enchanted, like a fairy tale, as the hike unveiled. We came upon a crystal clear pool beneath a bubbling brook that seemed to be missing its crooning mermaid. It led us to the ruins of massive iron and stone kilns, silent and immovable. We even watched a tree fall beside our path, as if urging us to leave while we still could.

Once again we drove down the Pacific Coast racing convertible mustangs along the ocean. And when we finally found a pull off for a beach, we were finally able to touch our feet in the Pacific. We raced against tides and walked along the beach. Afterwards we ate seafood at an oceanside cafe. We played along Big Sur late and didn't get to our campground until well after dark