The one where I buy expensive things

Yes. I'm guilty. I like to buy things. Not just things, but often, really nice things. I have this theory that, although it may be more expensive initially, the benefits of things i buy outweigh the hefty cost. Keyword is "should" here. There are pros and cons to this strategy and as i set to embark on the trip of a lifetime I feel obligated to share with you all what i've learned. 

(I won't be offended if you stop reading right about now...)

Expensive Purchase CONS

1) Price does not always reflect quality: A few months ago i ran 

into a friend of mine who was wearing a pair of shorts that were the EXACT same pair that i owned. Funny thing is, one pair had "Volcom" embroidered into them and had a pricetag of $52 bucks, while the other were a department store brand that were purchased for a whopping $8.99. Needless to say, in or out of the US, I promise to try and not be so brand-snobby. 

2) Times are a-changin':  During what I like to call my "school spirit" phase, I purchased a pair of ghastly yellow colored snowboard pants for a ridiculous sum of money to go with my red & yellow high school ski team jacket. The two things I should've considered before making this purchase were: a) will i ever wear these again after high school? and b) do I want everyone on the mountain to be able to spot me, brightly colored and all, riding from hundreds of yards away? The answer to both would've been "NO". For future apparel purchases, i've made a somewhat better attempt at buying more "time-friendly" pieces. 

3) Hidden costs: The first love of my life was a snazzy white 2000 Nissan Pathfinder that I bought my first summer of college.  Initially thinking i was getting a steal- I wound up spending a grand total of over $18,000 on it during the 4 years that I owned it (payments, problems, etc.)  and a few months ago re-sold it to my dad to help pay for my travels.  I was only out $13,000 in the end... the price of buying something like a honda civic twice over! But I will say I LOVED that SUV. From road trips to ski trips to covering it in all those pretty stickers; If given the chance to go back and re-think my decision, i'de probably buy it again! It was without a doubt useful, and oh-so-fun to drive! So i guess this one is technically a pro. Guess over the next few months i'll be seeing what its like to be car-less!

4) People like to take YOUR expensive shit: I can't count how many awesome (and

 expensive) purchases i've made just to have the item go missing shortly after buying them. Which brings up a few questions... has anyone seen my green and blue Ride jacket, or my black Northface windbreaker, or my 686 snowboard pants, or my black Electric sunglasses, or my Spy goggles, or my $1,500 Olympus camera, or my Sony camcorder, or my grey and black Dakine backpack, or my BKE jeans, or my Bridgestone road bike, or my Xara soccer shorts, or anything else that might be mine? I know I'm not that forgetful, so if you're out there expensive items- please return to me! (Mom, don't be too upset about me losing track of this stuff!)

Expensive Purchases PRO's

1) You get what you pay for (theoretically): I used to be the 

type to buy thecheapo running shoes because i couldn't understand why someone would spend over a hundred perfectly good dollars on shoes... and then I bought some $120 Adidas soccer cleats and i've never looked back! What a difference some better material and design can make! So after a long and hard debate (okay, it wasn't that difficult...) I recently bought some SWEET Salomon trail running shoes for all my hiking and running needs abroad. I even got them in black so the "they look dirty" excuse won't be there for me to buy a new pair before I need to! 

2) Higher price, better coverage: I've become a huge fan of several big-name big-price brands. While this doesn't fit into my goal of not being a brand-snob, these brands usually (unless you are one of those bastard phone companies) back their products with great warranty's. I haven't had to use it yet, but Apple covers my notebook for everything but theft. I could throw this baby in a pool because I felt like it and get a new one pronto. Sweet deal right? Thats why I'm traveling with The North Face jackets and gear from REI. 

3) I don't care how expensive it is damnit, it makes me happy: okay, so I didn't need my Nixon watch or my Pathfinder or my extra snowboards. But I love them all and know that having them make me feel good. Nevermind the countless amount of sh*t i've spent hard-earned money on, its the one-in-ten purchase I make that counts! So in New Zealand and abroad i'm going to be very conscience of wants and needs, as well as instant gratification buys vs. lifelong-memory-makers!

So thats it for now. I'm still excited as ever to embark on my travels and have a fun fact for you. This one is dedicated to Aussie, who I missed dearly today the fourth time i had to sweep the floor!

Fun Fact: Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic - a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese