So I went through my normal routine on my lunch hour; grab some food nearby and browse the web for an hour. On Engadget, I randomly came across an article about backpacks for travel:
It’s fun when things like that happen. Also, as I sat here, I thought about my daily routines and how they would be changing very soon. I don’t want to keep a lot of things from the house, as the point is to sever myself from my known way of life. Lots to think about there.
I have also been ruminating about what I typed on the welcome page. The New American Dream. The old one is fast turning into a nightmare. High prices, astronomical (for us) gasoline costs, etc. Getting a house in the suburbs, having two cars, all of that is starting to sour. I consider myself successful in daily life but what do I have to show for it? A 15 mile commute, bills to eternity, and a dwindling interest in continuing the same routine over and over.
I do not want to be one of those, “I shoulda..” folks when I get older. I want to live and experience the world. I have plenty of time to pay bills later.
Rhys Martin is an author and photographer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His love of travel was awakened in 2009 when he sold all of his possessions and left the country. For ten months, he lived out of a backpack and explored southeast Asia and Europe. When he returned home, it was with fresh eyes for his home state.
As he drove the back roads of Oklahoma, Rhys discovered the significance of historic Route 66 to the greater American story. He has traveled all 2,448 miles of the Mother Road and continues to seek out the quiet Main Streets of the Midwest.
Rhys's travel writing and photography has been featured in numerous publications, including Tulsa People Magazine, This Land Press, ROUTE Magazine, Nimrod Journal, The Oklahoman and Tulsa World. He wrote the book Lost Restaurants of Tulsa, which features the stories of nearly 50 iconic eating establishments from the city's past. He has also been a contributing author to multiple Route 66-based travel and history books.
Rhys is the President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and serves on multiple boards and commissions related to the Mother Road and its upcoming Centennial in 2026. He loves to connect with people and share his experiences.
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R & I,Yer “kinda cuz” Justin here. First off, way to go on the decision. I wish you the best of luck. Second of all, if you have a little time and a sewing bug, I’d really recommend ultralight backpacking, as popularized by Ray Jardine (inventor of the “Ray Way”). His fully loaded less-than-paper-thin backpacks typically weigh less than empty frame packs, and are durable enough to have made it to some of the tallest peaks on the planet. For more info, visit http://www.rayjardine.com/. Again, I wish you the best of luck. -JTM
Rhys' Pieces 
R & I,Yer “kinda cuz” Justin here. First off, way to go on the decision. I wish you the best of luck. Second of all, if you have a little time and a sewing bug, I’d really recommend ultralight backpacking, as popularized by Ray Jardine (inventor of the “Ray Way”). His fully loaded less-than-paper-thin backpacks typically weigh less than empty frame packs, and are durable enough to have made it to some of the tallest peaks on the planet. For more info, visit http://www.rayjardine.com/. Again, I wish you the best of luck. -JTM