Since we last checked in with her, she's been making her way slowly across Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Way Rad! Here are a few of the places she's hopped off the train over the last month (we are pretty darn jealous):
Sunset over the Trans-Siberian tracks, somewhere in Russia. Not at all a bad view from the train.
Ulaan Bataar and the steppe in Mongolia. Here she stayed in a yurt with a Mongolian family (I'll have what they're having, please) and rode atop two-humped camels.
Olkhon Island, Russia, the place Naomi claims you should never go, because you'll never want to leave.
In Naomi's latest installment, she responds to all the comments she gets about the size of her pack (which we'll just tell you because, well, we know these things: 11.5" x 19" x 7" sorry international readers for the use of the English system, we totally agree, metric is better). Naomi is by nature a light traveler and has become an expert packer over the last few years of traveling, and so even though she will be traveling for the next year, the Raja pack is the perfect size for everything she needs to take with her.
Remember our post in which we looked into the backpacks of some expert Matador Network travelers? Well now we get to see inside the bag of Miss Naomi.
What tricks does she have up her sleeve?
She is a mix and match expert.
She is all about multi-purpose items.
She swears she couldn't do it without some help from space saving laundry bags.
Her one indulgence? Three swim suits (but hey, everybody has their thing, right?).
Check out her full packing list on the Anywhere But Home blog here.
Naomi is developing a very close relationship with her Batik Buddy (her pet name for her Ethnotek Indonesia 5 Raja pack). If you've ever backpacked, you know, you either love your pack and it becomes your favorite traveling companion, or you hate your pack and it is the bane of your existence.
For now it would appear that Naomi and Batik Buddy are deeply in love.
"And as for how my new Ethnotek batik buddy has held up after a month on the road? Still going strong, even when stuffed to the gills. It’s been thrown on busses, in trains, and airport cargo holds, and yet it’s not showing any sign of wear or tear."
Naomi, you are awesome! We love following your adventures - can't wait to hear where you'll be off to next!