I just returned from two weeks of canoeing and camping where I was completely disconnected (no email, no Internet, no cell phone.) I have not done this for a number of years. The vacation was great and gave me an appreciation of the comforts that I have in normal life. It also helped me realise that I work fairly hard and lead a fast paced life normally.
A canoe trip is a series of challenges like most things in life. There are challenges like the mosquito and black flies (the black flies are usually gone by July but due to the lack of hot weather to kill them off, they were still very prolific), the rain challenge, the cold challenge, the mud challenge, etc. It increases my respect for nature and the power of it.
I particularly enjoy canoe tripping because it is was physically very aggressive. Not the paddling but the portages. A good 3 hour portage in the muck, rocks and tough terrain with a pack and canoe is not unlike a marathon or at least a half marathon.
It also gets you back in touch with the basics. Small aches and pain seem immaterial when there are bigger ones.
I enjoy going to bed and waking up with the sun. I love the wildlife - moose, otters, grey owls, loons, etc. I love the natural beauty of pristine lake, streams, waterfalls and rock outcroppings. I love the fishing (caught and ate lots of bass), the blueberries, the wild raspberries.
Steven Covey's Seventh Habit of Highly Effective People is "Sharpen the Saw". This vacation did this.
As with everything in life, there was a price. I now have to get caught up and feel swamped and behind.
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