The suitcases are full, both by weight, and by volume. And some of my stuff is still left outside. I am now faced with the difficult task of deciding what goes and what stays behind in America. My daily work clothes, that include all my chef coats and pants, tee-shirts, and stuffy work socks are not coming along anyway. The Anti-slip sole chef shoes I purchased for work are now quite grotty, fungus-infested and are otherwise coming apart. It makes no sense to take those along, right?
Some of my other tee-shirts are quite worn, so I may leave those too...let's see, what else?...A large and very heavy Lava-lamp, something a friend of mine is desperate to lay claim to, will have to stay put. So will the various computer-related paraphernalia that I have gathered over time. And then there are my toiletries, which are numerous, and all of which will stay behind as well. I do not see the idea behind carrying about halved bottles of conditioner and aftershave.
Still, it amazes me. the capacity of man to surround himself with material things. When I came here, all I had were my clothes, my books and little else. Everything neatly packed into two suitcases. Now, I am returning with the same number of cases, but I have had to leave so much behind, it feels so utterly wasteful. All the energy I've expended, all the money I've spent, all the things I've gathered, wasted. I tried so hard not to end up in this consumerist claptrap of buying anything I lay my eyes on, and to an extent, I succeeded. I resisted the urge to buy a pair of Ralph Lauren/CK/DKNY/Diesel jeans. I steered away from Home Depot as much as I could. I controlled the desire to buy a half-pound of a San Daniele ham at $70 a pound. I did not buy the very expensive vial of white truffle oil. I did not uncork a single bottle of wine. Most of all,
I still have not been lured to commit the ultimate act of self-indulgence, and buy an iPod. Still, I have ended up with so much...stuff.
