60th Edition
How much do you rely on having a daily routine in your life? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. I have a daily routine, but I also like spontaneity. They aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, but they aren’t typically compatible either. On one hand, having a daily routine provides a sense of order and predictability. Good things, I guess, but routines can also get monotonous, even boring. On the other hand, spontaneity supplies excitement, even a sense of adventure. Admittedly, I struggle to find the right balance between the two. Maybe I am over thinking this.
Another concept I am struggling with are bucket lists. There is too much planning involved. I know, planning is important. Where to stay, what to do, what to pack are all important aspects to get right. But sometimes, just deciding in the moment, just rolling with whatever happens leads to amazing experiences. Like the time my wife and I left on a trip to Iceland and ended up in Montana. Had we not been willing to improvise when the stern, but kind ticket agent explained that our passports expired too soon for a trip to Iceland, we would have missed out on a memorable and totally spontaneous trip to Missoula, Montana. We discovered an amazing bakery in Missoula, worth the entire trip, in my opinion. We learned that one of us is a natural fly fisherman. It should be fly fisherwoman, more accurately… We found that bison are more afraid of us than we are of them, but if you stand still long enough they will ignore you and head for the best location to graze. Sort of like something I would do… We saw a grizzly at a safe distance, which was perhaps the highlight of our adventure. I don’t think there are grizzlies in Iceland, are there?
My dad was a spontaneous, live-in-the-moment kind of guy. I don’t believe he ever created a bucket list. He journeyed to a town in Ireland called Lahinch a few times, but that was the extent of his travels. I know several people who have literally been around the world. That’s just not for me. I’ve always dreamed of taking one particular trip though, walking from coast to coast through Canada while avoiding all major highways. One-lane, country roads all the way. Starting in Nova Scotia, heading west through Quebec, Ontario, and the remaining provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. I’d take as many hiking trails as possible while still heading in a westerly direction. No cities or traffic, and lots of quiet time. My guess is it would be about 4,000 miles. Want to go with me?
I realize this can’t be a spontaneous, throw a few things in a backpack and take off kind of trip. I would have to hire a logistics expert, a field guide, maybe borrow a couple experienced dogs from an Iditarod team. How long would it take? No idea and that’s the point. There would be no schedule, no expectation of finishing on a specific date. Just start walking and adapt to whatever nature has to offer. I’d hope to stay in as many small towns as possible along the way. One decent restaurant, hot shower, and comfortable bed is all I’d need.
Let’s say I start in Guysborough, Nova Scotia. The name seems apropos for this trip, doesn’t it? Settled in 1634, current population around 400 (according to Wikipedia). Sounds like my kind of place.
What would I hope to accomplish on such a journey? Several things come to mind. By the end, assuming I make it, I would be an expert on hiking shoes. Not much is worse than buying an expensive pair of hiking shoes then discovering that after the first mile they are uncomfortable. I hope I will be an expert at identifying edible plants. This might come in handy if all the pundits who think our country is going down the tubes turn out to be right. Perhaps I’d become as good at fly fishing as my wife. Most of all I’d like to have meaningful conversations with people I meet along the way. I’d initiate conversations about religion and politics, and all the other topics we aren’t supposed to discuss. I imagine my opinions would be welcomed in some places but rejected in others. Hopefully, the locals would pass along a few fishing tips.
I might find a small town and decide to stay for a while. It would have to be near a lake or river, have two or three good restaurants, a hardware store, a decent grocery. I imagine I’ll pass through hundreds of these kinds of towns on this trip. Which one will it be and how long will I stay? No need to decide ahead of time. I’ll know when I get there.
Check out my novel “Calling Tom Canning” at this link on my website: kayesbooks.com/novels
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.