I'll get to that, and I was thinking of it as I wrote it. The good news is that the world is full of smaller, local operations which don't require your first born male child in payment. Since I'm a disabled veteran, I can't afford the big stuff either unless I trade for stories, which is how I've done it in the past. That door has been closing as influencers shouldered in and, sadly, really muddied the water with some of their deeply disrespectful behavior in other cultures and places. New world indeed.
Lots more to come on this topic. If I include all the stuff about budgeting the piece would have been way too long. I'll get there. I'm dedicating a whole series to the topic, so accessibility based on budget will be part of it. Not disrespectful at all, it's a key piece of the puzzle.
My 52 mile hike in Maine's Wilderness with @Jenny O'Connell who writes @Wild story was life altering. My guides and fellow hikers were half my age and taught me so much. I wrote about it for anothe outlet, but I'm about to go rouge and add it here. 🌄
You know, it doesn't matter what we choose to do as some kind of spirit quest, often taken without realizing that that's precisely what we're doing. I do hope you share it if for only one reason: the example you set. My life purpose is to Move People's Lives, but I can't do that if I'm unwilling to move my own first. When we do things that younger people believe that we cannot it's such a gift. Yes, you learn from your younger fellow hikers, but dear god what we teach them by getting out and getting it done for ourselves at any age.
By the way I had a similar experience in Myanmar. My thirty-ish guide assumed that I'd have a terrible time hiking for four hours in the 100 plus heat and 90% humidity. As it was, I left him and his cousin behind on the mountain, and repeatedly had to wait for them to catch up. He taught me local culture and gave me endless gifts of insight into the hill tribes, and he learned to not make assumptions about women and women over sixty. It was a good trade!
I do so love your passionate exhortations to go play in nature, Julia — and I definitely need to do more of that in 2024 than I did in 2023 (although the mountain hikes and canoeing and trail riding I did do are high on my list of the year's highlights). I'm far less drawn to balls-out adventure sports than you are, but there is nothing like being surrounded by the great outdoors to reconnect with one's own soul. Thanks for the inspiration. One respectful suggestion: you might include some ideas for those whose budgets are tighter than they might wish.
Budget can be a problem- if you only look at the big ticket excursions. That’s why some of us do a lot of virtually free adventuring, like trail running, hill scrambles, paddle boarding on lakes where you can rent the board for $20, and things like that.
I can’t afford many trips to far away places doing stuff that takes a lot of equipment, so I go to the closest wilderness and get in it.
I'll get to that, and I was thinking of it as I wrote it. The good news is that the world is full of smaller, local operations which don't require your first born male child in payment. Since I'm a disabled veteran, I can't afford the big stuff either unless I trade for stories, which is how I've done it in the past. That door has been closing as influencers shouldered in and, sadly, really muddied the water with some of their deeply disrespectful behavior in other cultures and places. New world indeed.
Lots more to come on this topic. If I include all the stuff about budgeting the piece would have been way too long. I'll get there. I'm dedicating a whole series to the topic, so accessibility based on budget will be part of it. Not disrespectful at all, it's a key piece of the puzzle.
My 52 mile hike in Maine's Wilderness with @Jenny O'Connell who writes @Wild story was life altering. My guides and fellow hikers were half my age and taught me so much. I wrote about it for anothe outlet, but I'm about to go rouge and add it here. 🌄
You know, it doesn't matter what we choose to do as some kind of spirit quest, often taken without realizing that that's precisely what we're doing. I do hope you share it if for only one reason: the example you set. My life purpose is to Move People's Lives, but I can't do that if I'm unwilling to move my own first. When we do things that younger people believe that we cannot it's such a gift. Yes, you learn from your younger fellow hikers, but dear god what we teach them by getting out and getting it done for ourselves at any age.
By the way I had a similar experience in Myanmar. My thirty-ish guide assumed that I'd have a terrible time hiking for four hours in the 100 plus heat and 90% humidity. As it was, I left him and his cousin behind on the mountain, and repeatedly had to wait for them to catch up. He taught me local culture and gave me endless gifts of insight into the hill tribes, and he learned to not make assumptions about women and women over sixty. It was a good trade!
Love this story! And yes, I will share on my substack soon, maybe with your note as the inspiration.
I do so love your passionate exhortations to go play in nature, Julia — and I definitely need to do more of that in 2024 than I did in 2023 (although the mountain hikes and canoeing and trail riding I did do are high on my list of the year's highlights). I'm far less drawn to balls-out adventure sports than you are, but there is nothing like being surrounded by the great outdoors to reconnect with one's own soul. Thanks for the inspiration. One respectful suggestion: you might include some ideas for those whose budgets are tighter than they might wish.
Budget can be a problem- if you only look at the big ticket excursions. That’s why some of us do a lot of virtually free adventuring, like trail running, hill scrambles, paddle boarding on lakes where you can rent the board for $20, and things like that.
I can’t afford many trips to far away places doing stuff that takes a lot of equipment, so I go to the closest wilderness and get in it.
So true, Tim. There are a thousand thousand ways to engage in Nature without engaging our credit cards to the max!
Good points!