Jeans

Do you have something that you can’t let go of and you don’t quite know why?

That sounds like a deep, philosophical question, but I’m just referring to my jeans.

I’m trying to travel as light as I can. I keep throwing things away. Last week I left behind my sweat shirt. It’s summer, even though it gets a little chilly up north. I’m doing fine with just three shirts to wear. Tomorrow it will be two. Socks and underwear? They’re washable, so why need so many?

I don’t need my jeans. It’s really hot, so I’m wearing shorts. But I can’t throw out my jeans.

They even have holes in them. One big hole in the crotch and two small holes by the butt pockets. The legs are frayed and gross.

But they have traveled with me around China for six months and I love them. They are coming back to America with me, no matter how much room they take up in my bag (a lot).

It’s kind of like how I’m possessive of my train tickets. When I got here, I thought it would be cool to keep all of my train tickets. I was thinking, “All four of them.” But now that I have almost 20, what’s the point? One time I was getting off the train and the attendant took my ticket. It upset me. I have so many, but I can’t throw them away. I just can’t. They took me all the places that I’ve been to with my jeans.