short break: the packing adventure

Packing now has a moral dimension.

Just in case, you didn't notice ... this is a real (!) problem. ;-P

The gift of giving stuff away

It is amazing - I have lived in my area of Munich (Nymphenburg) for a little bit more than 4 years. I share a building with 15 other appartments - most of whose inhabitants I have never seen. I wouldn't even know if someone belongs there ... that is the sad part.

The good part: when I started giving stuff away during the past weeks I have met so many nice people - and their story, a part of their life. Meeting people is just so exciting! It makes me like the area I used to live in even more. Not so smart to move away then ...

Today it was an excited father of a 1 week old who still didn't seem to grasp the wonder he created 10 months ago (being evil: mabye he didn't? ...). And a completely disoriented twentysomething who figured he could pick up the cupboard he wanted to buy with a bike (it was cool one, though) and no money (no, the look was not worth the cupboard!) ... well, some lessons are hard and/or heavy ;-)

Is there a job where one can give away stuff as a job (and still earn money for a living)?
Or maybe we could just try and believe that the endless powerpoints, point of views, teleconferences, meetings are something like "giving stuff away" - as in: my ideas, my time, my brain (hello, anyone up there?) ... I probably just need to work on the reaction of the receiving part. Well, that goes to the todo list for April 2010 (this feels great!).

Actually, early this year Philipp and I had a small project where we collected Best Wedding Wishes from complete strangers for Timmy & Ulrike in a little black book. A text and a picture of every contributor. People we haven't met before so freely - and amazingly happily - gave away their thoughts, wishes, advices to a couple they haven't met - and in most cases unfortunately probably never will meet. That was the same feeling. Meeting stories, meeting experiences, meeting wishes and giving people an opportunity to tell their story. Apart from being a very unique present it was the proof that engineers actually are able of spontaneous human interaction (well done, sweetheart ;-P ).

I am thinking of doing that again, when we travel. 1 stranger a day ... no wedding wishes this time, but 3-5 weird questions (todo!) to someone we meet on the street. Let's see if Australians are also happy to give away their stories.

The Land of Stuff

She -actually me- is currently packing up her stuff in Munich. This means taking everything you own into your hand and decide whether to keep it, to sell it, to give or simply throw it away.

Giving away works great - as soon as you post stuff for free on any ads platform it is gone. People take everything. As soon as it costs only as much as 5 EUR ... nobody calls. Is that the financial crisis or a simple form of self-perception? Maybe it is just smart ...

To throw away is also easy: Didn't touch it in 6 months? Don't think it is worth a picture and an ad? Gone.
With 1 and 2 a lot of stuff is covered.

To keep is the hardest part: Why on earth would I want to keep all my seminar papers of 5 years of university + one from school? And why wouldn't I? They are all the "originals" with real notes and real grades (in ink) on them. Will never EVER use them again but will never EVER give them away either. And there we go ... "This pair of shoes I wore when Bryan Adams kissed me (real kiss!) at a concert (true!) [I actually had a hard time giving away the shirt last summer when we cleaned out the house I grew up in. What do you think, would it have been worth keeping??? ;-)) ] ... that picture I don't have electronically, this dish was a gift of (you name any person), this book I always wanted to read again" ...

Living on the 5th floor (no elevator) actually helps not to collect too much things. Nevertheless I need more than 50 boxes to pack my (just me) 1 room appartment. Still, after 17 moves, nbr. 18 on its way to be completed. This is way too much stuff. But I promise, for every one of them I have a very good reason to keep it.

Our travel will teach me a lesson there. 5 months and all I (think I) will need I have to carry every day. 15kg max. I have no idea how this will be possible. When we are back in FRA next Wednesday packing starts. It scares me already now. I keep you posted.

If DHL delivers to the Fijis?

Btw: Stuff is everywhere - even on the other side of the world. There "stuff" even wins awards - regularly. Also a lesson somehow.

Wishlist

Are there any places (in the countries mentioned on the upper left corner) you always wanted to visit but haven't so far? This is your place to request your personal post card or picture. Just post a comment - and make sure we recognize who you are ;-).

Also - you have a second cousins nice's grandmother's friend living somewhere down there who has a couch and loves visitors? Great. You can send us his/her name and address via e-mail or facebook mail.
Thank you!

Preparation Phase

Well, all the websites we clicked on and all the articles we -kind of- read to prepare for this trip prove one thing: we did not prepare what seems to be "properly". Other people read tons of travel books, learn additional languages, "start" their adventure by changing their working-time-model two years prior to take-off and start living in a tent in the garden -"just to get used to it".

We made the final decision to take this trip in June - this year. We have stopped working just a week ago ... to start sorting out admin stuff, backup all important data, have some dentist appointments, move appartements, climb the Mont Blanc, set-up facebook, dopplr, twitter, couchsurfing, freagle, blogger (you name it), party and - the worst part EVER - pack (as in: decide what not to wear in about 5 months). That is a lot of things to do before saying good-bye.

Nevertheless, here we are: Martina and Philipp preparing to leave the country for 4,5 months of travelling in Asia, Australia and Oceania. We have ...

• sleeping bags and pillows (check!)
• 1 backpack (todo! - that one is her's even though it is just climbing Mont Blanc with him ...)
• travel medication (check! - btw. love the pic, Marc)
• a pile of travel books too heavy to take with us (todo! - Nr. 5 please help ...)
• no work to do until at least February 2010 (the one) or April 2010 (the other one) (check!)
• a place to store our stuff (todo! - anyone fancy moving MUC to FRA on Sept 15?)
• a couchsurfing profile (check!)
• hiking boots, flip flops and 2 cool hats (check! - he says clothing is overrated anyway ...)
• no idea how to reduce 4,5 months worth of personal belongings to 15kg (todo! - she says that she might be able to leave those shoes at home ...)
• visa for China, Australia and Vietnam (check!)
• unlocked mobile phones, multiple ipods to choose from, 2 cameras (so one can be stolen), waterproof videocamera, gps, ... you name it, we have it (check!)
• an ongoing discussion around a plb (his) and a small notebook (her's) (todo!)
• cancelled all unneccessary insurances (check!)
• copied all important documents but still need to scan them (todo!)
• bought all necessary insurances (check!)
• scheduled fare-well parties in Frankfurt, Walchsee and Munich (in the order of appearance - check!)
• received all necessary immunization (check!)
• a sufficiently stuffed bank account (todo! - that is always a todo!)
• and, ah, flights, right, ... nearly forgot (check!).

Apart from that we do not have any route, no pre-ordered hotel reservations, no cars or campers booked, no idea what we will do on New Year's Eve or at X-mas. We will work it out when we get there. We have some friends that live along the way, who we will visit for sure. And we hope that with backpacking, geocaching and couchsurfing we will find some new ones.

Didn't they say all you need is a bathing suit and a VISA? Et voilá ... nothing can go wrong. Unless Philipp actually plans to wear the bathing suit ... different story ...

So far for preparation - back to packing moving boxes ...