That's quite a list for a year! The tarp sounds a bit uncomfortable, though.

I once couch surfed and traveled for a year and a half, and I learned so much about how other people live, as well as about what I needed to live. "Pack light" was probably the first thing I learned, and like you said, how little you really need to get by.

Nowadays, even when underemployed, I rarely make it out of town. Living, working, and food shopping in one part of one small city (West Berkeley) means I don't even bike or drive that much. It's about the opposite experience as you're having, but I'm getting to see the small changes that happen over time: small businesses opening and folding, the ebb and flow of car campers (this is west Berkeley), old houses being torn down and live/work lofts being built, and the flow of projects though all the art/metal working shops in the area. I try to take a walk or a bike ride every day, and it's amazing how many little changes there are.

I know what I'm missing by being in the same place, but I think it's been worth the feeling of stability. At least, it has been so far. I'm at a point where I can choose to go nomadic again, or get more work and a house with a yard. My girlfriend and I would like to garden and grow most of our own food... just think, fresh tomatoes off the vine, lettuce, carrots, herbs, etc.! Farming ties you to an area though, and it's a huge trade off: food independence for your freedom.