This could be the shopping list of a frat boy who cares about \u00a0Omega-3 fatty acids but not about mercury. Instead the list is my husband\u2019s, and he\u2019s not even a drinker. Jonathan\u00a0intends to pour the beer down the drain, give the cat a treat, and fashion a portable stove from the cans.<\/p>\n

Jonathan\u00a0is obsessed with lightweight backpacking. He spends hours online chatting with like-minded fanatics about the newest miracle fabric that repels water, retains heat, and is lighter than air. \u00a0They swap recipes for freeze-dried concoctions requiring less space than a teabag. Each gram shaved from the overall weight of the pack is cause for celebration; it means he can go faster and farther on his solo trips into the wilderness.<\/p>\n

Jonathan\u00a0spends all day experimenting, drilling holes into the beer can, creating a miniature windscreen. Our teenaged daughter catches him trying to boil water in his makeshift tuna-can stove. Rolling her eyes, she declares, \u201cThis mid-life crisis has gone too far!\u201d<\/p>\n

I know I should be grateful. Other men troll online for extramarital flings or buy expensive sports cars to stave off the onslaught of age. My husband is both frugal and true.<\/p>\n

Yet I can\u2019t help but wonder about his preoccupation with traveling light. How much does he long to unburden himself of home and family, of a life heavy with obligation? \u00a0The mortgage, my hot flashes, college tuition, endless household chores–they all add to his load.<\/p>\n

No wonder Jonathan\u00a0wants to set off unencumbered at a swift pace. Come to think of it, I\u2019d like to join him. If I promise to travel light, maybe he\u2019ll boil enough water for two.<\/p>\n

*<\/em><\/p>\n

What encumbrances would you like to shed?<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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