Dave Ford Does Earth

Posted by Dave Ford

I should be completely packed by now. But, I am not. It is 1:44 in the AM the night before my trip and my room looks like downtown Baghdad. I am surrounded by zip lock bags full of everything and anything you could possibly imagine. I probably should not have stayed out with the boys until midnight on my last night home. Thank God for Red Bull.

Here is what my “Rough Guide: First time around the world” says to pack for a year on the road:

• 1 Tshirt
• 1 Long sleeve polypropylene shirt
• 1 micro fleece
• 1 rain jacket
• 1 poncho
• 1 thin beach towel
• 1 swimsuit
• 1 pair of trousers
• 1 pair of socks
• 1 pair of sandals
• 2-4 sets of underwear
• 1 collapsible hat
• 1 bandanna
• 1 pair of shorts
• Toiletries (the usuals)
• Gear Bag (duck tape, crazy glue, ear plugs, pocket knife, rubber drain plug, sleep sheet, lighter)
• Medical bag (first aid junk, much emphasis on condoms, tiger balm, laxatives, assorted pills)

My primary problems is that I don’t have any of this shit! I do have ear plugs and a sleep sheet. I was planning on packing 7-10 T-shirts. I guess that is not such a good idea.

How the hell are you supposed to go on a trip around the world with one pair of socks??? What the hell is tiger balm?? Polypropylene??? How am I supposed to trust a book that calls pants “trousers”?

My flight leaves at 6:34 pm out of the worst airport on planet earth, Dulles International in Northern Virginia. My Mom and Dad are driving me. If I am ready to go at 2pm tomorrow and do not forget anything it will truly be an act of God. All in all, if I make it to the airport with my passport and plane tickets I’m chalking this up as a big win.

These are the books I’m taking:

• Time Out Argentina Guidebook
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• Rough Guides:First time Around the World
• Conversational Spanish in 7 Days “Los Tacos son bueno“
• The Rough Guide to Chile
• The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Che Guevara

On an entirely unrelated note–I will watch the Ravens break Peyton Manning in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

My next update will be from Argentina. Something tells me I will have a few interesting stories by the next time I find a computer.

Share This