More on backpacks

Yesterday I tried packing my stuff into my current backpack and there was a large amount of empty space. I mentioned my thoughts on a new backpack to my wife who convinced me that I should use my current pack. The pertinent reasons were that
[1] I have been wearing it and am used to the weight and feel,
[2] I won't have another old bag laying around the house,
[3] I can save the cost of the new bag, and
[4] the extra space might come in handy during the trip.

So with that decided, I applied myself to the other things I have to do. I have been sending the address of this blog to various people and internet lists. I have also made a to-do list and a need-to-buy list. In addition I have started collecting all of the things that I already have into a single pile - I have yet to collect a lot of the small stuff. Finally, I am finishing up the grading and paperwork for my last semester's classes. Actually I will leave in a couple of hours and go to Tohoku U where I will submit the grades.

I received my first settai, a gift that people give to the pilgrim in order to share in the trip and vicariously gain Buddhist merit from the Pilgrim's trip. My art teacher gave me a sketchbook and some water-soluble colored pencils and one of the other students gave me some cash, which is a quite common sort of settai.

Receiving settai was a very humbling experience that made my think about my purposes in doing the pilgrimage and added to the seriousness (not quite the right word but it will have to do) with which I am approaching the whole affair.