Nesting.

I have a confession to make: although I pride myself on being able to live out of a backpack and it has been almost two full years since I have had a permanent address, there is a folder on my computer desktop with over one hundred images (yes, you heard right) of home inspiration.

Secretly, deep down, hidden by a veneer of free spirit and simplicity, I yearn for bookshelves and coffee tables and potted plants and pillows and spice racks. In fact this summer I could take it no longer and went to the thrift store, bought a cozy reading chair for $7 at the local thrift store and crammed it in the tiny plywood room assigned to me for days off. That cozy chair made me so happy I contemplated hiking it the 2.6 miles up to my tent site. Thankfully rationality won out... armchairs are not light!

Even while paring my belongings down in anticipation of another long distance hike, I pick imaginary paint colors for pretend walls, admire shelving and think about how I would kill for an herb garden. Some things just can't be helped... and I suppose there are worse vices to have.