Hitting the road

Last year I took the plunge and quit my job of 8+ years to live out of a suitcase and travel. The logistics of renting out my house, putting my junk in storage, forwarding my mail, setting up online bill pay and fitting everything I'd need for the next 8 months into a backpack made me second guess the decision. As I sat on the tarmac waiting to take off to Iceland, I frantically tried to get my rental lease agreement electronically signed before I lost reception. I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. After all, 8 months is an awfully long time and when you're on a budget it's not like you'll be at a resort being catered to hand and foot. What I learned is that yes, hostel living isn't the cushiest, but with a few tricks, some luck, and an open mind (sorry for the cliché), you can get by juuuuuuust fine.

Here are some things I've learned it's nice to have when you're living the hostel life.

• a clothesline- it's the worst when you realize you're down to your last pair of skivvies and you have to wash some in the sink and let them dry in your bunk for all to see. A clothesline will at least expedite the drying.
• ear plugs- people snore, present company not excluded.
• flip flops- not all accommodations are pristine. Try to book ones with good cleanliness ratings, but in case you're out of luck, wear those suckers in the shower.
• eye mask- some people are rude and come in and turn on all the lights in the middle of the night. Some places, like Iceland in May, barely get dark. You'll minimize the impact to your sleep schedule with one of these puppies.
• a lock- lots of hostels have lockers but don't provide a lock.
• mini flashlight- don't be the asshole. If you need to get up and look for something in the middle of the night, keep it near your pillow so you can get up discreetly. 
• a couple plastic bags- the longer your trip the more you'll notice you hoard them. They are handy to have around.
• a quick-drying towel- towels are not included everywhere you go. And you have to pay extra for them. Just take your own. 
• and don't forget your power adapter!!  This should be obvious.

Rookie mistake: I packed too much. In my defense, the bag on the left was full of snacks. I love snacks.

A note about packing.
Don't pack too much. Don't pack expensive stuff. Pack things you wouldn't be devastated by if they were to get damaged. It's ok to pack something that seems frivolous if you think you'll use it. My ONE frivolous item was a collapsible pour-over coffee cone thingy + filters. I knew 8 months on the road would add up to a pretty chunk of change in coffee alone so I figured I'd take one and try to use it whenever possible. It was awesome and oddly, lots of people were totally jealous I had one.