A journey begins with a thousand miles in one step. One big thousand-mile step.

Current mood: back-ache
Current hairstyle: The "Gregory"

So the trip has started, and everything was left to the last minute, including this post, which I really should have posted a while back, before the trip had started.

Why no flying? That's the question I should have written a post about. But now the trip has started, so this must become a dual post; about why no flying, and about the first day.

Why no flying? Greenhouse gas emissions. Boom - that's the short answer. Ships are 10-20 times more efficient than planes at transporting weight across a great distance. There's no question it's the better way to go, between the two. But another question is, why go at all? Is world travel a right? Wouldn't our impact be minimized by just eradicating that travel bug? Well, maybe I'll come to an answer to that one. This trip is not about being the most environmentally friendly possible, because things could always be a little more environmentally friendly, but it is a consideration, like many other things - and so I've drawn the line at no-flying. Trains, buses, boats - ground things (Yeah, water counts as ground).

Anyway, day 1 - here's the quick version, because it's late. Mad rush to pack. Shouldn't have played so much Mega Man 9. Shouldn't have blown up those 15 blue balloons for no reason. I get weird when I get nervous. Packing is tough. That's a short and easy thing to say, but it's an important thing to remember when you're packing; it's tough.

There was a brief moment of things sinking in, as I hoisted the filled backpack up for the first time, ready to leave the house. A strange feeling - this, here, on my back, is all I will have to call my own for the next little bit. Neat.

Anyway, bus ride. Remember when I said that many other things are considerations on this trip? I said that just a few paragraphs ago. Well, here's where that information becomes important in you understanding how I'm going to relate it to the next thing I'm going to say; that another consideration of this trip - one that has been de-emphasized by the no-flying thing - is the social aspect. I'm way too shy, I'm way too apologetic - I've gotta throw myself out there to improve this. This is gonna come up frequently, I feel.
So I hope to sit next to someone on the bus I can talk to.

Okay - it's super-late. I'll finish this later.