36 Liters to Freedom

I can't believe it was only 2 months ago that I was sitting in the car driving back to San Diego from Glendale only hours after being released by the White Sox. Baseball had been part of my life since I was 4 and it was hard to imagine what it was look like without it.



Fast forward to today as I sit in San Diego International airport with only backpack, about to embark on a 7 month trip through South America and Asia. In the past 64 days I have gone to the Coachella Valley Music Festival, had Easter dinner and Mother's Day at home for the first time in 8 years, watched one of my best friends pitch in Dodgers Stadium and planned the trip of a lifetime. All of which would not have been possible had I still been playing.

The thirst for travel seems to run in the family, so I did not have to look far for support or advice. My mom backpacked through Europe after high school and my sister has been abroad for about two years of her life including a yearlong trip around the world. In fact she will be adding to her long list of countries visited by starting my trip with me in Panama.

This trip is on a budget, so one of my main goals is to try and carry on at all times. To accomplish this, I am going as light as possible and putting everything that I will need for 7 months in a 36 liter backpack. To give you some perspective the average school backpack is about 26-30 liters.  When I did my final pack yesterday, I was skeptical if I was going to get everything in, but after some rearranging and throwing unnecessary items out, I got everything in with some room to spare.

All of this...

...fit into this!

Next Stop Philly, to see Rio and maybe have a Cheesesteak.