Aside from a long series of shenanigans, that included painting driftwood, building driftwood horses.

Taking over a driftwood hut, like some kind of a hobo.

And making driftwood fires, though not on the beach.

I spent a lot of time listening to books, out in nature, you hear what the author is saying.

You can easily comprehend things, and you get plenty of time to think about them.

I think maybe, it is not possible to read a book, and it may not even be possible to properly hear one…

When you are in a city, when you are on the clock, away from stars and forests, and lullaby of lakes and oceans.

I once spoke to a very serious older lady who had her books, but, she seemed to have been just passing time.

That may just be all you can do with a book, and no adventure to match.

Biographical accounts of adventures, when you are living in the middle of a wildreness… are urgent.

It is not that you will never visit Australia so, you don’t really have to worry about red back spiders.

It is that you will never visit Australia, so you don’t ever have to worry about the tiny spiders.

Not to mention stinging seashells, bluies, and salt water crocodiles, just when you thought sharks were bad enough.

And you can’t even eat the fish you caught, as they may have, Ciguatera, not harmful to fish but poisonous to humans.

I can’t tell you how much more you learn to appreciate Lake Michigan, after you survive a series of amazing books about Australia.

And mosquitoes are no problem, so as long as you bring anti-mosquitoes incense.

They are pinky thick, and chase all the bugs away, just watch out for the hot ash is you move them.

And the people are nice, it is not jus the vacations, it is the adventure, it is what we are supposed to do.

And many are funny, like that lady that had an accident so loud, that the birds went silent.

And instead of changing, she yelled pull my finger, in a dirty southern accent, bless her.

And the older woman, who upon arrival at the lake, immediately started sniffing tree leaves with her sister, in a botanical fashion.

And I mischevousley said, “That’s poison ivy, leave that alone”, only to notice, that her sister was chewing some of the leaf for analysis.

Perhaps it was a species of maple, and they hoped it was sweet, but I made them retreat to their books in panic.

Then on my way out, I’ve noticed the wiser lady, was very happy with my dumb joke, I am proud to this day.

The lady that released her half chewed leaf, with a dollop of goo, and a sprinkle of panic - didn’t care to watch me go.

Leave your, pride at home, Dear Madam, as the Southern Fart Lady teachers us, in the wilderness, we’re all wild.

I wrote this text, the day before spring, when Appalachian Trail hikers were getting ready to leave for the 2025 season.

Wishing, that I could remind them all to bring their narrated books along, it is such a big deal to study Philosophy, Sciences, and look into biographies.

But I tell you, they have mastered a thing, that none of us are sure about, and we are so much poorer for it – so I also prepared advice for the rest of us.

The shortest possible adventure, that may not even guarantee enlightenment, though it will surely restore you – is 12 weeks long.

It takes two long months, to unwind, and finally a long month so see what you have been missing.

Even when we grant ourselves a month of vacation, for every month of work, that is still not enough to do our delicate minds justice.

The triple crown hikers, have the duration down, it takes two years of adventure, of snow and rain, and thunder and sunshine.

To really get back on track, and understand that to grow up, means to grow all the way up.

Until we each stand as a great being, and with a good appreciation, for silliness and joy of life.