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News!
A lot is going on. First of all, I would like to state an initial thank you to Laura and Arch Brown. They create an opportunity at the Honors College of the University of Arizona for a wonderful scholarship. After applying, I received funding toward my project. This marks the first scholarship I have earned for The Vagabond Project and I am ecstatic. The funds from the Laura and Arch Brown Scholarship have allowed me to purchase a camera, USB stick, and SD card. I've also purchased my plane ticket, so now The Vagabond Project is a GO. Additionally, I picked up the backpack which is going to represent my home for the 84 days that I travel throughout Europe.
After much consideration and research online as to which camera would best suit my needs, I chose the Canon Powershot SX260. It is versatile and pocket-sized, as well as one of the top-rated cameras on Amazon and other websites. I purchased a 16GB SD card so that I have enough room to take a large amount of high quality pictures before I have to dump them into the cloud. Additionally, for extra space and for supporting documents and backup information, I bought a 16GB durable USB stick. I believe that this storage space will be crucial, especially if I am not within range of the internet for a series of days. I am also looking to pick up a secondary battery for the camera, as I will run into battery issues after several days without access to an outlet or energy source.
For my backpack, I chose The North Face ALTEO 35. It has a capacity of 35 liters, which will provide enough space for several days of clothes and supplies. It has a fantastic support system and fit on the back, providing a mesh space for airflow to pass. As this is going to be on my back for a good portion of the trip, it is extremely important that I am comfortable carrying whatever I must carry.
In other news, I have applied for two additional scholarship programs. I am hoping to hear back in early April, so hopefully I can obtain additional funding to support the program.
Currently, I am working on gaining partnership and contact with organizations that work with homelessness in Europe. The organization I am looking to work with at this point in time is the Homeless World Cup. What is ideal about the HWC is that it is prevalent and established in all the countries I will be traveling through. By partnering with the HWC, I would be able to see the gradient of difference between countries and how different cultures work with and react to homelessness.
There is a lot in the works and it is great to start seeing the project come together. It's weird to think that just a few months ago I was practicing my shot on a basketball court in the cold, debating if it was even possible to pull something like this off.
Best,
Sam
