Unpacked and Uncensored

Friends, lovers, and everyone else, welcome to my blog. I hope that it serves as a source of laughter and advice for all those interested in trusting a 21 year old.  Here you’ll find... my adventures, life advice, love of food and drinks, and awkward encounters. I am looking forward to sharing it all with you, and can't wait to see where life takes me with no map, just baggage.

As some of you may know, 3 weeks ago, I packed my life into two suitcases and headed on a journey to South Africa for the semester (while my trip will only last 5 months, this blog won’t stop when I return to the boogie down Bronx!) Since arriving in Pretoria, my bags have impatiently been waiting to be unpacked. My fellow Fordham and Syracuse friends and I have been so busy traveling to museums, Braais (South African Barbecues), class, and (of course) local bars that I never really had the time or the urge to see what I had brought.

Now that the first week has came and went, it was about time that I unpacked all my baggage in order to truly see if I was prepared for this next chapter in my life. Trying to pack everything you need for a 5 month excursion is a lot easier said than done. You really have to evaluate every item you want to bring in order to decide what makes the cut.

And so, now I would like to share with you exactly what made the cut and reveal what’s in my baggage to the world, because, just like Fat Amy, I am an open book.

15 pairs of Calvin Klein underwear (Thank you to my mother, Patty, who will have an omnipresence on this blog)

A bag of hershey kisses-- since there are no real kisses in my life #noloveinthisclub

A few pictures of my Family and Friends

A $1.99 wine opener

Deodorant  (it’s 90 degrees constantly here and I have a sweating condition)

Anti-diarrhea medicine (Traveling 101: This is always necessary)

Polarized Ray Ban sunglasses to provide shade for my eyes (as I give it)

Patterned shorts with a 5 inch inseam

An outlet converter (I hope to adapt to South African Life along with my electonics)

The Andy Cohen Diaries

And A notebook that says "Trust in your crazy ideas" (many of my blog posts will come from here)

I also have a bag of excitement, a box filled with hopes, and a pair of anxiety and fomo

In time, I’ll definitely be sharing more of my baggage with you. I hope this first post leaves you (and all my potential suitors wanting more). Check back soon to see what I pick up from baggage claim next.

Sincerely,

Stephen