I’ve unloaded my CD and book collections (both numbering the hundreds) and the component stereo system with tower speakers gets donated to the thrift store tomorrow. When it’s all said and done my stereo life will be reduced to one iPod, a few sets of headphones and the 6,000 songs in my iTunes library (note to self: this could be the time to think about developing a backup scheme). This is a major shift; the first thing I bought with my first-ever paycheck was a radio. Since 1978 I’ve never been without a receiver, big boxy speakers and tune-spinning device. Also going: one large office desk and two big bookshelves.

The way things work in Silicon Valley: as long as rents go up faster than salary, every few years require moving to a smaller place and getting rid of a bunch of stuff. By the time I retire (at age 92, the way things are looking) we should be able to fit everything we own into backpacks, and that’s when we’ll thru-hike the PCT.