STUFF!

Our "stuff" finally arrived last Monday, mostly without any damage. Both of us hate how we feel so tied to our "stuff". Why is our happiness so dependent on all of our stuff? I think there are many reasons why we feel so much happier with it. For one, we don't hesitate to admit that we are immensely more happy when we are adventuring with our adrenaline equipment close to nature and away from the crowds-- mountain bikes, windsurf equipment, surfboards, kayaks, etc. Sometimes both of us do wish we could have as much fun with some good hiking shoes but it's not really the same and we can't get to the same places with just hiking shoes.

I am slightly hesitant to admit that I am way more happy with comfy chairs, rugs (to cover the nasty ass [NA] carpet), and nice wall hangings in our apartment. I do believe Scott could care less about these things. Something that brings a lot of happiness to Scott is his musical "gear". For anyone that knows Scott well, you know that he experiences genuine joy from music and from making music or at least from making some noise. His gear includes 7 electric guitars, 2 acoustic guitars, a banjo (six string banjo which I'm told is really just a guitar), a dobro, 2 mandolins, a bass guitar, 3 amplifiers, bongos, a djembe (that's a drum), a drum set, 2 mandolins, and a lap steel. I became quite aware of all this musical "gear" when I had to check off each item while they were delivered -- 40% musical gear, 40% adrenaline gear, and 20% clothes and furniture. Lastly, we are living in such a new and different environment that I think having some of our familiar sights, smells, and sounds is inherently comforting.