Usually, around this time of the year, I do an inventory of sorts, of my backpack. I call it, the State of the backpack 20XX edition or something like that. I have been meaning to go through and compose it. Here is the thing though, This year has been, well, it's been a year. *Especially** in the past 6 months, and mostly work-wise.

Therefore, my backpack has become the closest in your house, that you are scared of and you don't dare to open it anymore, *el-oh-el*. I don't even know what things I may have in there. I know for sure My camera is in there, and sometimes, my work computer and random stuff. Too much random stuff. Again, I don't even know anymore.

Recently though, I received a box, a Stitch-Fix box, and in this box, besides a few shirts and jeans, I also got boots and a backpack! There is nothing super-special about this backpack, it is called The North Face Vault Backpack.

Like I said, nothing special, no special pocketses or hidden things or fancy features but I love the color and its simplicity to be honest. For the past three years and then some, I have been using the 20L Peak Design Everyday Backpack, which is outstanding. If you know me, you know I am a backpack junkie, and the fact that I haven't bought anything else in over three years, that's saying something.

The Vault backpack has not replaced my Everyday one in any way – yet. So far I have been using it as a gym bag, the few times I had the chance to go to the gym right after work, which in reality won't be happening again. But it has made me realize that the Everyday Backpack, has become too much for my daily use. I mean, I love the look of it, the quality of it, and how easy is to store and access my camera with it but a lot of it is not necessarily super-practical for me, at this point. 

I may try, to experiment using this less-featured backpack and see how it fairs to my needs, carrying the camera with this one, might be an issue since there is no special compartment or some pocket that could double as a camera compartment. 

Maybe I could find a backpack that could be the happy spot between these two?

We shall see.

I know for sure I don't want to be carrying a ton of stuff anymore other that the necessary things.

Oh maybe, it just occurred to me as typing my thoughts away, I can use the less-featured one just for my daily working days. Then use my Everyday, for my off-work daily shenanigans, and just carry less shit in it.

See? it all works out.

Let me know what you all use, down in the comments.

Okay guys, until next time.

It is the day. The last day of November, and the last day of Ellen, the day I’ve been dreading. Oh! Well!

Besides that, it is cold, and it is snowing 🌨️

The commute wasn’t terrible, but not ideal. Fuck Elon, by the way. Two things you would rather not be thinking about whilst driving to work in these conditions are, I need new wipers and new set of tires 😶

Part of the road was pretty icy and slippery, but I managed.

But your favorite bar is under new management, and whether you want to admit it or not, you know damn well what kind of bar they’re making it into. You need to think long and hard about whether you’re okay with that.

Source: Twitter, failure modes, and your favorite bar | Coyote Tracks

Back in the day, when I was much much younger, probably about 8 to 10 years old, my dad and I would go watch wrestling matches pretty regularly. We were both huge wrestling fans. I still kind of am, but don’t follow it as closely as I used to.

Anyways, on one event… Okay, there used to be this wrestler back then, called El Bronco. He was pretty big, not super-defined but a big guy. He, at the time, used to wear a mask. I was such a fan, that I made my dad buy me that mask, at that event.

Later that night, it was time for El Bronco to fight. He comes out, I’m excited, I am cheering, and with my mask on. Then, it is time for the rival, to come out. He comes out, music is playing and I immediately take my mask off. I was so sacred, that his rival would confuse me with El Bronco, 😅.

I, a skinny 8-year-old, get confused by a huge wrestler just by wearing the same mask.

I am doing some “mindless” work and usually, what I do is I am either listening to background music or a podcast, book on tape, or whatever. Sometimes, I open a web browser with Youtube and put something on without paying much attention.

Today I, for whatever reason, clicked on this video,

And damn! It felt like a punch in the gut. As if he was seriously talking to me specifically, although I am no content creator, it felt that way. I felt and related to what he was trying to convey. I got it, I understood it, and again, I felt it.

I feel like I am always full of excuses and not putting in the work. I have seen pictures of my old self, of when I was putting in the work. And in those times, I know I was the best version of myself. Regrettably, nowadays, I am not pitting in the work, at least not in the same way. And I do want to be the better version of myself, maybe not the same but still better than where I am now.

I need to own my own bullshit, and put in the work.