The world is vast, and the corners we carve out for ourselves are so small.
Go see, do, taste, and try. Find the places that speak to you. That make your heart sing.
meet someone new, or show your places to your loved ones. But do not sit quiet and contented in one spot – not until you’ve tried places outside of your comfort zone.
I’ve been kicking over the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail for some time. Though I’m not certain next year will be when I through-hike, I believe I’ll do at least a portion of it in 2020.
Hiking as a vegetarian will be something new for me, and I’ve been exploring some different recipes that I could try, include heavy-Indian-influenced cuisine. As I keep exploring the new cooking methods and backpacking prep, I’ll likely include more and more posts on the subject.
There is a kind of person I distinctly admire: nomads. Whether they were born into nomadic tribes or left off cultural normalcy for a life on the road, they interest me to no end.
It takes a special kind of person to live without guarantee of what the future will hold. Of course, no one can actually guarantee any future. And that’s where we often get stuck.
We think that the future is something that can be planned – can be manipulated. However, we’re shown time and again that no amount of planning or preparation can ready us for the future. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Nomads understand this and live life accordingly. And that’s something we should emulate.
I feel I’ve written on this book once or twice before. It’s one that’s been with me for a while. In fact, my bedroom’s bookshelf has only the books I really want to read or ones that I want close to me. Rolf Potts’s Vagabonding is one of three books that I’ve had since the early 2000s. The other two are Lao-Tau’s Tao Teh Ching (Shambhala Publications’ John C.H. Wu translation) and Acupuncture: A Comprehensive Text (Shanghai College of Traditional Medicine; translated and edited by John O’Connor and Dan Bensky).
The text on Acupuncture was a loan from a former teacher of mine – my earliest mentor, you might say. One day I will track him down again and return the book, with a comprehensive apology for having it as long as I’ve had.
So saying that Vagabonding is near and dear to me falls somewhat short of the mark.
I’ve done two extended trips in Europe, one in ’16 and one in ’17. Last year it was a short trip to Costa Rica, and then this year, of course, was Alaska. But I think I’ve accepted that long term travel is more appealing to me than a regular vacation. It’s significantly more immersive, and, in my opinion, more fulfilling.
And recently I realized that it’s once again time to revisiting Mr. Potts. So I pulled a heavily-used, loved paperback off the shelf and opened again to the first pages.
Vagabonding – n. (1) The act of leaving behind the orderly world to travel independently for an extended period of time. (2) A privately meaningful manner of travel that emphasizes creativity, adventure, awareness, simplicity, discovery, independence, realism, self-reliance, and the growth of the spirit. (3) A deliberate way of living that makes freedom to travel possible.
About 10 days ago I was on a tour through Denali National Park, showcasing views of Mt. Denali; wildlife (moose mostly); and a sprawling landscape that disguised distances to the naked eye. Back only a handful of days, I just started looking through photos of the trip.
The beauty and grandeur of Alaska is something I cannot recommend enough to everyone – for them to see it for themselves.
After a wonderful trip up through Alaska and Canada, I am down south again. My intention was to maintain posting every day during the trip, but it became too difficult for me to maintain while I was traveling. But now I’m back, nearly over the jet lag, and ready to hit the ground running.
This week, I’ll be writing about what I read last month, the fourth and its significance for me, and of course, my travels.
Though I am glad to be stationary for a bit, I think Alaska will stay with me in a way like no other place has.
I may end up living here.
The end.
Made it! Of course, a six am flight isn’t my idea of ideal travel conditions. But at least I was able to sleep a bit on the first leg of the journey. But not enough.
Arrived in Seattle for a quick turnaround, then on to Anchorage. It was just after noon local time, so we walked around a bit, ate, then slept. Now it’s off for the next day.
And we’re off. I’ve been planning for this trip for nearly a year. Now, finally, it’s here. I know that it won’t disappoint.
There are many people I’ve spoken with who’ve told me how amazing of a trip this is. There are internet sites, and people posting on that annoying Instagram app… All about Alaska. And I wonder, would John Muir recognize it, with all this notoriety? This land that’s been called simply: “Great.”
“Never before this had I been embosomed in scenery so hopelessly beyond description.” – John Muir
Perhaps I attract those who like to travel. Perhaps it’s a similar feeling in myself that allows those to open up to me – like attracts like.
But perhaps it’s that the tourism trade has done a number on exploring. What is exploration anymore? What is the journey vs. the destination? What is vacation vs. life?
These are things that I will ponder looking out upon the expanse of this wonderful State.
Started packing, sort of. Less than two weeks until the trip, and I am getting more and more excited. Yet staying busy as ever.
I pulled the suitcases I’ll be using for this trip down. It’s weird not packing my either of my backpacks. One went with me to Europe, twice, for over a month each time. The other was for a quick week trip down to Costa Rica.
But this isn’t a backpacking trip. This is some exploring, some relaxing – including hiking and a glacier cruise. And in less than two weeks, I’ll be trading the lower 48 for the Land of the Midnight Sun.
Michael's Musings 