outside

Ladies and gentlemen, the fall is essentially upon us.

I could not be happier about this.

The best thing about the fall is being outside.

I really like being outside.

A lot.

One day I hope to have a job that affords me a little more time outdoors.

Or a cabin with a massive garden.

Or just a farm.

Or race in the Iditarod.

So on and so forth.

 

There is something very renewing about spending an extended time in the wilderness, and I often wonder why that is.

I understand that it is not everyone’s cup of tea.  Humans have spent the better part of our existence trying to refine and escape from outside.

We retreat inside to seek the comfort of a roof and air conditioning.

Going outside has become an increasingly recreationalized.  Not that it’s entirely a bad thing.  I would never want to give anyone a reason not to get off of the grid for a spell, or enjoy the brillance of the natural world.

I guess, for a lot of folks, it is like a retreat from the retreat.

For my own part, I enjoy the simplicity of nature.  It is more of a retreat from the unnecessary things involved in the day-to-day.  It feels good to step back, slow down, and take stock.

 An appreciation and understanding of the outdoors is something I want to foster in my own children.  I think it is an oft neglected aspect of childhood in the modern age.  A walk on the creek bed can inspire an imagination as much as a video game (although some video games are very well developed)

 

At any rate, I cannot express how much I enjoy falling leaves, camp fires, hammocks, pumpkin pie, and apple cider.  So I won't even try.