For some reason I can't shake the urge to start writing on this despite being over a month out from take-off. Guess I can write about the prep I'm doing. I promise this is going to get much more juicy than pre-trip planning very, very soon.

4 Unnecessarily, Necessary Prep Steps

1. Secured my Inter-American Driver's Permit: Not your typical International Driver's Permit, no. The IADP gives the holder specific permissions to operate a passenger car in all South American nations like Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay that the IDP doesn't. If you're smooth enough, you can get stamped for a motorcycle exemption too...

2. Locked in my first Workaway gig: Using Workaway is sort of like playing craps. I kind of know how to play craps, but if you asked me to explain it, I'd defer to Google for a decent explanation. Regardless, I have something brewing in Chile in September - stay tuned.

3. Embracing minimalism: One-way flights mean indefinite storage. Indefinite storage means unnecessary expenses. Unnecessary expenses mean less than indefinite time on the road. You follow me. Speaking of, does anyone need some end tables?

4. Set up my newsletter (finally): You're reading it.

3 Things I'm Missing

(If you have any ideas for these, please respond to this email and let me know.)

1. How the hell do I forward my American number?

   1. Some banks and sites require text-code authorization. Without access to those accounts, I'm going to be a purist road warrior quicker than I'd like. I'm trying to figure out how to keep my American phone number for this sole purpose without shelling out cash to upkeep the number. Maybe it's a pipe dream.

2. I don't understand the whole "reverse-seasons" thing.

   1. Rumor has it that the Southern Hemisphere experiences the opposite season as the Northern Hemisphere the further you get. That shatters my brain to think about considering that I'm still heading towards the South Pole.

3. I can't pull the trigger on a Couchsurfing account.

   1. Couchsurfing had its heyday back in the early 2010s when you could find hosts looking to offer a cheap (or free) place to crash for weary travelers. And their intentions were pure. Now, I can't find much info on it besides the occasional review about some sleaze-ball that only wants to host female travelers and knows of "the best spot" for a quiet waterfall hike.

1 Surface-Level Backpack Review

My selected bag for packing my entire life into for the foreseeable future: the Tortuga Outbreaker 35L. Since I recorded this clip, I have taken this pack on a couple of trips. It's been a godsend. 35 liters is probably a bit too much space, but I suppose that always leaves room for the odd sherpa poncho that sneaks into there.

If you enjoyed this edition, be sure to share it with someone. My goal is to have this newsletter reach those interested in traveling in an unconventional way. And if not that, be an entertaining narrative of times on the road in South America. Either works for me.

Until next time,

-Ferg