Why Travel?

The question I get asked all of the time whenever I tell someone about my impending trip is “why travel? Why now?” The short of it is that I’m young and have the resources to travel right now. The long of it….well it’s long.

Flash back to 2008. I was deployed to Afghanistan as an enlisted aide to the Commanding General of the Combined Security Transition Command. I was homesick for the first time in my life and bored as all get out with my job. Really, besides the occasional convoy I sat around behind a computer screen all day. However, not only did I have the opportunity to work with military personnel from all over the world, I had the chance to interact with several regular Afghans on a daily basis and they proved to be some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. This was in stark contrast to the shocking devastation and poverty that I witnessed in the perpetually war-torn country. Little kids, barefoot and unwashed, played around burnt out Russian tanks, while their parents tended to dilapidated storefronts riddled with bullet holes from who only knows what invading force. Seeing these things made my liberal heart break, and it was then and there that I rejected religion, consumerism and the American way. I made the decision to leave the Navy as soon as my term of enlistment expired. At the same time, I started harboring quixotic thoughts of traveling the world, not as a tourist, but as a citizen of the world. Blogs like Rolf Potts’ Vagabondish and the Matador Network became my go-to reading material. The seed had been planted.

Flash forward to 2010. I just left the Navy after another deployment, this time onboard the USS BENFOLD (DDG 65), a guided-missile destroyer. Though the time we spent in the Persian Gulf was boring (a common thread with deployments) and tedious, I had some of the greatest experiences of my life. These came while in foreign ports – namely Phuket, Thailand and Manila, The Philippines. It was in these exotic locales that I saw a vibrant side of life, a celebration of diversity and travel. 

And Little People
(Picture taken at The Hobbit House in Manila, PI)

I learned how to make friends, with both locals and expatriates, very quickly. I proved to myself that I could not only survive, but thrive in an alien environment, and I was hooked. The travel bug bit me hard, but I still was unsure of what I would do with myself post-Navy. After taking some time to re-adjust to civilian life and catch up with old friends and family, and with a little bit of nudging from those friends and family, I decided to spend my fall abroad.

Europe, it seems to me, is a natural starting point for an American to get his feet wet with solo travel. My “bucket list” if you will, is to see the entire world and all of its people….the good, the bad, and the just so-so. And hopefully, I’ll find some interesting people and places to report to you along the way.

Packing (Or "What's in Your Bag?")

So my whole travel philosophy is based on being a traveler vice a tourist. It’s about finding authentic experiences, interacting with locals and other like-minded travelers, and having a damn good time in the process.

So you’re probably thinking, “That’s great and all, but what does this have to do with packing Kyle?” Well, kind reader, I’m not really sure – I just wanted to throw some of my hippie-zen bullshit out there in order to bring up my extraordinary packing skills. Check this out!

Not Pictured: An Enduring Sense of Adventure

For the next three and a half months, this is the sum total of my earthly possessions. And it all fits into a 30 liter backpack. Some of you out there carried one about the same size to school every day (I’m looking at you Drew). Pretty neat huh?

This might bring you to your next question, “Yeah, nifty dude….but how are you going to fit all of that into a 30 liter backpack?” You misunderstimate me (to quote the great American twitterer Sarah Palin), dear reader. Admittedly, I took many stabs at this before finally settling on a solution. Here’s what I did:

Vacuum Sealed for Your Protection!

Whoever invented the space saver bag (now in travel size!) is going to get a huge hug from me. Seriously, not only does everything fit in such a compact space, but it’s waterproof too! This shit is bananas…

I guess the biggest question to answer now is, “Why are you trekking around Europe for three and a half months with just this?”

Ah, the story comes full circle. In order to fully realize my hippie-tastic global citizen muckity muck, I need to travel light. This way, I can hop on a train or thumb a ride whenever my little heart desires (and no checked-luggage fees or waiting for the baggage carousel when flying). Or I can walk for all I care….it’s only 25 pounds!

The Finished Product

Besides, what do I need a bunch of stuff for? I’m going abroad to see things I’ve never seen before and to interact with people I’ve never met. Less stuff = less time worrying about the security of said stuff, more time adventuring!!

The Journey of a Thousand Miles....

At the urging of many friends and family, I decided to start this blog in order to document my experiences as I travel around Europe in the next three and a half months. In seven days' time, I will be boarding an airplane in New York City bound for London. From there, I plan to travel across the North Atlantic to Amsterdam, then onwards to Munich (Oktoberfest baby!). From there....who knows? I hope to meet interesting people, both locals and fellow travelers, along the way and go wherever my whims take me.

Am I excited about this once-in-a-lifetime adventure? Hell Yeah! Am I anxious about traveling in foreign (albeit completely developed and civilized) countries by myself? Effin' A! However, I've found that if I get too comfortable with myself or my surroundings, I get incredibly lazy. In order to counter this malaise, I'm going to intentionally put myself outside of my comfort zone as much as possible. I'm sure that as I go along, I'll add a lot more thoughts regarding my travel/life philosophy. For now, I'm just taking it one day at a time....