The world and beyond - reflections of a dharma nomad

Well today I had to travel through London with my carefully packed bag.  Having boasted that it was only weighing in at 13kg it has now grown to the full horror of at least 20kgs without me really knowing why!  Well I did decide to take four books, and a medicine kit, and extra clothes...so when I arrived at my friends house we did a ruthless consideration of what I might actually need over six months on the road.  The books have survived : Pema Chodron 'Start where you are' and Chogyam Trungpa on 'Training the Mind'(293g)  These two I want to study in the first month when I will be at Bodhgaya, then I can donate them to the Root Institute library..  Then I have a notebook and a copy of 'Shambhala the Sacred Path of the Warrior' which is very light.  The Lonely PLanet Guide has been tossed out - weighs like a brick.  My beloved towel was rejected at 800g and replaced by a spare one from Yvonne with a Porsche on it (not quite sure about this..)  I let go of some of my fears of getting ill and halved the medicine kit; kept the Grapefruit seed extract which is foul and said to be invaluable.  And we tossed out a few clothes that I don't really like anyway (how did they get in there?).  Kept one pair of nasty green trousers because they are light and keep the mossies out; a couple of capris and nice skirts; and a selection of light shirts.  Oh and an air mattress and tiny sleeping bag.  Well last time I went to India the beds were rock hard and I happened to have my camping mattress with me.  It was perfect.  So I have stuffed it in and reckon it is worth it if I sleep well. Now I just have to re-weigh the whole pack - which itself is fairly substantial with a comfortable harness especially designed for women, and good for that hiking adventure in the Himalayas!!  Did I mention the hiking shoes and sandals?  That's it - amazing how attached I feel to a few carefully chosen possessions.