The way you travel defines who you are. Perhaps that’s why they say that the best way to get to know a person is to travel together. I first heard of the Empty Backpack concept in George Clooney’s movie, Up in the Air. It professes to traveling & living light, without unnecessary emotional or  physical baggage. Here’s sharing some of my Up in the Air inspiration with you: Imagine for a second that you’re carrying a backpack. I want you to feel the straps on your shoulders. Now I want you to pack it with all the stuff that you have in your life. You start with the little things, the things on shelves and in drawers the knick-knacks, the collectibles. Feel the weight as that adds up. Then you start adding larger stuff… clothes, table-top appliances, lamps, linens…your TV…The backpack should be getting pretty heavy now. And you go bigger. Your couch, bed, your kitchen table. Stuff it all in there. Your car, get it in there. Your home, whether it’s a studio apartment or a two bedroom house.

I want you to stuff it all into that backpack. Now try to walk. It’s kind of hard, isn’t it? This is what we do to ourselves on a daily basis We weigh ourselves down until we can’t even move. And make no mistake; Now, I’m gonna set that backpack on fire. What do you want to take out of it? Photos are for people who can’t remember. Drink some ginkgo and let the photos burn. In fact, let everything burn and imagine waking up tomorrow with nothing. It’s kind of exhilarating, isn’t it? This is how I start every day of my life. Now, this is gonna be a little difficult, so stay with me. You have a new backpack. Only this time, I want you to fill it with people. Start with casual acquaintances, friends of friends, folks around the office. And then you move into the people that you trust with your most intimate secrets – your cousins, your aunts, your uncles, your brothers, your sisters, your parents, and finally your husband, your wife, your boyfriend or your girlfriend.

You get them into that backpack. I’m not gonna ask you to light it on fire. Feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake, your relationships are the heaviest components in your life. Do you feel the straps cutting into your shoulders? All those negotiations and arguments, and secrets and compromises. You don’t need to carry all that weight.Why don’t you set that bag down? Some animals were meant to carry each other, to live symbiotically for a lifetime -star-crossed lovers, monogamous swans. We are not those animals. The slower we move, the faster we die. We are not swans. I set out for 2 months of travel in 2 weeks time, and all I’m taking with me is my empty backpack. I’m striving to rid myself of the baggage that so many of us tend to carry with us for the major part of our lives, including the times we set out into the unknown. I hope you’ll join me on my journey to explore the beauty of our world and capture small parts of it in pictures & words. Share the wanderlust:Like this:

to the program of your choice, to start new programs, or to where it is most needed. A class was recently asked by a teacher what they would do if they had $100. The food in each bag costs approximately $10. A lot of money? But without their weekend backpacks, thousands of children will go hungry for 68 hours each week. sniper backpack ebay We looked through the backpack and explored what was inside (“Yum! debenhams backpack saleI love tuna fish!”). backpack for sale gumtreeWe practiced wearing the backpack so they were familiar with how heavy they were before going home on the bus. oxbow backpack

I asked them to be patient and wait until they were in their homes to open the backpack up again. (ie. no snacking on the bus…) I told them to return the empty backpack to my room on Monday so it could be refilled. And I answered any questions they might have. I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces. I am so incredibly thankful to all of you who are making this happen.muddy backpack straps Donate With Amazon Smilecost of backpacking ecuador These are the types of foods we would like donated Peanut Butter – 18 oz plastic Jelly – 20 oz squeezable containers Mayonnaise – 12 oz squeezable containers Canned Pasta – Beefaroni, Ravioli, Spaghetti Canned spaghetti and meatballs Canned Soup – 12-20 oz size Macaroni and Cheese – Boxes not cups Canned fruit – 3-4 serving size

Cereal – Boxes or bags of 5-8 servings Tuna or Chicken – 10 oz or smaller cans Swiss Miss Cocoa Mix Find Your Nearest Drop-OffLaughter is an Egg You Wait Till I'm Older Than You! Magic Beans: A Handful of Fairytales from the Storybag This Star Won't Go Out The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. One in five American children face food insecurity - more than the populations of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago combined. During the school week, most of these children depend on the federal free and reduced meal program their school offers. Sometimes, the meals at school are the only ones they get. When the school closes it doors on Friday afternoon, many of these children go home to empty cupboards and empty bellies for 65 hours until they return to school on Monday morning.