Mallory lent me Rita Golden Gelman’s book, The Female Nomad, as preparation for the journey that is to come.

As an example that should inspire me to reduce my own traveling footprint, here’s what Rita took to Antigua:
“I pack everything I own: two pairs of pants, one skirt, four T-shirts. A sweater. Underwear. A bathing suit. Toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, sunblock, insect repellant, sneakers and four plastic bags. I put in my Spanish dictionary, the Lonely Planet guide to Guatemala, a novel to read and trade, a Swiss Army knife, and a sleeping bag. And finally, I pack two empty spiral notebooks, some ballpoint pens, and the smallest secondhand manual typewriter I can find. I’ve given everything else away.
A friend gives me a threadbare (as requested) face towel that can fit in a small space and dry easily.”

She doesn’t have a lot of cold-weather clothes (not that you’d need them for summer in Antigua) but buying new clothes in different communities becomes a big part of what shapes her travels.

Definitely makes me feel like getting rid of the computer speakers, among other things.

I’m going to apply for Servas and the Hospitality Club to get things started. Both of them are organizations that offer housing to travelers.